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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cue — a hint
  9. track — a song
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cue — a signal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wind — moving air
  16. season — in sport
  17. track — a path
  18. land — a country
  19. season — of the year
  20. suit — to fit
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wind — moving air
  24. leaves — lets stay

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