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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. suit — to fit
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ground — a position
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. ground — the earth
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cue — a signal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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