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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. spell — letters
  3. net — in sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mark — a grade
  9. spell — magic
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. net — for catching
  16. spell — a short time
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. cue — for pool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — a supporter

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