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: wake · cue · pitcher · wound · racket · ball · object · clip

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. object — a thing
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. clip — for paper
  7. object — to protest
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ball — a great time
  16. clip — to cut
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ball — a dance
  19. object — an aim
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — a hint
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. clip — a video

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