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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bank — for money
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stem — to come from
  7. clip — for paper
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hand — help
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. clip — a video
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cue — a signal
  24. squash — the vegetable

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