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: cue · squash · can · pop · hand · shower · straw · current

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pop — music
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pop — soda
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pop — to visit
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — for pool
  15. shower — to wash
  16. squash — to crush
  17. current — happening now
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. current — electric
  21. cue — a signal
  22. current — of water
  23. shower — rain
  24. can — a tin

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