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 124 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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ball — a dance
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. cue — a signal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bound — certain
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lie — to recline
  14. swing — music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. content — happy
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. swing — to play on
  22. content — the amount
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lie — an untruth

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