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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — a signal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. last — to go on
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. cue — a hint
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bat — the animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. last — final
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. kick — in football
  20. squash — the sport
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. last — finally
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fall — the season

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