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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wind — moving air
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rule — a law
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. rush — hurry
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cue — a signal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rule — government
  24. wound — an injury

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