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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. cue — a signal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. capital — a city
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. prune — to trim
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bat — the animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. prune — to trim
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. capital — money

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