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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cue · clip · lash · fork · scale · row · fine · club

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. row — a line
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fine — high quality
  5. cue — a hint
  6. clip — to cut
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. clip — for paper
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cue — for pool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. club — for dancing
  17. scale — in music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fork — in a road
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. club — a group
  22. clip — a video
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. club — for 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