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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cue — a signal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hand — in cards
  5. spell — magic
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cue — a hint
  11. snap — to click
  12. hand — help
  13. field — a subject
  14. can — to be able to
  15. spell — a short time
  16. field — farmland
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. spell — letters
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cue — for pool
  24. field — for sport

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