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: wound · spell · date · deal · cue · straw · swing · stem

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cue — for pool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. swing — to play on
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. stem — to come from
  11. date — the fruit
  12. spell — letters
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cue — a signal
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spell — magic
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. swing — music
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. swing — in golf

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