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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. snap — to click
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rash — a series
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. staff — employees
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. staff — a stick
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. ball — a great time

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