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: content · face · spell · march · sharp · cell · racket · cue

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  2. cue — a signal
  3. spell — magic
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. march — the month
  9. face — to point toward
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cell — in biology
  13. spell — a short time
  14. face — to confront
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cue — for pool
  17. march — music
  18. spell — letters
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. sharp — clever
  21. march — the month
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  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