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: cue · shower · clip · toast · racket · hand · spell · lie

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. shower — rain
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. clip — for paper
  6. toast — bread
  7. spell — magic
  8. hand — in cards
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cue — for pool
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lie — to recline
  15. clip — a video
  16. spell — letters
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cue — a hint
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. lie — an untruth
  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