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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spring — the season
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mug — to rob
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mug — a face
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. spring — of water
  22. fall — the season
  23. shower — rain
  24. bat — for baseball

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