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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cue — for pool
  4. spring — of water
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. sharp — clever
  13. squash — to crush
  14. track — a song
  15. cue — a hint
  16. squash — the sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cue — a signal
  24. track — a path

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