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 116 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 · hand · lean · wind · bear · bank · bore · racket

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bank — for money
  7. lean — thin
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. lean — to bend
  12. hand — help
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bank — of a river
  24. racket — for tennis

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