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

Word bank: trunk · hide · saw · chest · cue · fall · firm · spell

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. spell — magic
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cue — a hint
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spell — letters
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cue — for pool
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. firm — steady
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — a signal

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