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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. sharp — clever
  5. race — the arms race
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. race — humankind
  9. deal — to handle
  10. race — a contest
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hand — in cards
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cue — a signal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bound — obliged
  22. hand — help
  23. perch — the fish
  24. deal — an agreement

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