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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — the amount
  4. spring — the season
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bass — low music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. spring — of water
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. spring — a coil
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. content — happy
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. track — a song
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bass — the fish
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. swing — in golf

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