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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cue — for pool
  7. capital — money
  8. saw — the tool
  9. club — a group
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wound — an injury
  23. club — for golf
  24. fork — a garden tool

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