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: leaves · wind · cue · hide · charge · date · straw · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cue — a signal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cue — a hint
  9. charge — a price
  10. mug — to rob
  11. date — the fruit
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. charge — electricity
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. charge — in control
  21. wind — moving air
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. date — on the calendar

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