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 120 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: swing · racket · kick · bound · snap · cue · tube · kid

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cue — a hint
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. swing — to play on
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. kick — in football
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cue — a signal
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cue — for pool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bound — tied together
  21. tube — a container
  22. bound — certain
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kick — with a leg

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