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: club · spell · cue · bat · mark · hand · bank · clip

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mark — a trace
  4. clip — a video
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bank — for money
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mark — a grade
  11. hand — help
  12. bat — the animal
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — magic
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. spell — a short time
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bat — for baseball

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