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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. court — for sport
  3. mug — a face
  4. bound — tied together
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bound — certain
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mug — to rob
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mug — a cup
  11. swing — music
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tube — a container
  14. court — of a king
  15. bound — obliged
  16. tear — to rip
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. court — of law
  19. cue — a hint
  20. snap — to click
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. swing — in golf

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