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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. squash — the sport
  5. net — after costs
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. band — a music group
  11. lean — to bend
  12. game — a match
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. lean — thin
  15. net — in sport
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. squash — to crush
  19. net — for catching
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cue — a signal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cue — for pool
  24. game — wild animals

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