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: hand · suit · wake · rash · plane · bear · bound · cue

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bear — the animal
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. suit — to fit
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bound — obliged
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — a series
  20. hand — in cards
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bound — certain
  23. rash — hasty
  24. plane — an aircraft

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