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: foot · cell · roll · wound · lash · rash · cue · rush

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in biology
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rash — a series
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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