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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — a signal
  4. net — in sport
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — an aim
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. object — a thing
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chip — for betting
  17. net — after costs
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chip — to eat
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. net — for catching
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mark — a grade

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