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: pitcher · content · shower · roll · safe · rash · fork · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cue — for pool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. shower — rain
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. roll — a list
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. content — happy
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. content — the amount
  24. rash — a series

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