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 124 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. kid — to tease
  6. net — for catching
  7. cold — an illness
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. net — after costs
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cue — a signal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. kid — child
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cue — a hint
  22. net — in sport
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. toast — bread

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