ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. hand — in cards
  7. object — a thing
  8. rush — hurry
  9. perch — the fish
  10. object — an aim
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hand — help
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a path
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com