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 · club · rush · plane · cold · bark · bass · bay

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bass — low music
  11. plane — a tool
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cue — for pool
  15. club — a group
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bass — the fish
  24. plane — in geometry

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