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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. row — a line
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wind — moving air
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mate — a partner
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stock — shares
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. stock — goods
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mate — a friend

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