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 · fine · temple · cold · file · pound · racket · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pound — a weight
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cold — not warm
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cue — for pool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cue — a hint
  12. file — a tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fine — all right
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. fine — high quality
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cold — an illness
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. file — a document
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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