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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. cue — a signal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. season — of the year
  5. file — a tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. season — in sport
  8. file — a document
  9. mark — a grade
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mark — a trace
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. cue — for pool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. saw — the tool
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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