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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. hand — help
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rush — hurry
  11. can — a tin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fall — the season
  24. spell — magic

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