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: bark · bat · charge · cue · rash · pass · dip · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pass — a permit
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cue — for pool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rash — a series
  16. charge — a price
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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