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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. snap — to click
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cell — a phone
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cue — for pool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cell — in a prison

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