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 · arm · pass · lie · clip · rush · spell · cold

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cue — a hint
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — a video
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cold — an illness
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. clip — for paper
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spell — letters

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