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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cue — a signal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cold — not warm
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — low music
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — the fish
  11. squash — to crush
  12. net — for catching
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — after costs
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cue — for pool

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