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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spell — a short time
  5. tear — to rip
  6. spell — magic
  7. rush — hurry
  8. branch — a division
  9. spell — letters
  10. tear — from crying
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. game — a match
  15. rock — music
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rock — a stone

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