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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. swing — music
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wax — to grow
  7. net — after costs
  8. wound — an injury
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — in sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. cue — a signal
  19. net — for catching
  20. fine — all right
  21. hand — help
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. hand — part of the body

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