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: stick · saw · drill · cue · cell · foot · press · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — to push
  4. drill — the tool
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cue — for pool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — a publisher
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. saw — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. saw — the tool
  24. press — newspapers

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