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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mug — a face
  3. cue — for pool
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. present — the time now
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. present — there
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. present — a gift
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. sharp — clever
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wake — a trail
  24. net — in sport

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