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: mug · cue · stock · drill · leaves · wax · straw · fall

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cue — for pool
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mug — a face
  9. stock — shares
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. drill — army training
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wax — to grow
  14. stock — goods
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cue — a hint
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fall — to drop
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. fall — the season

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