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: board · wake · tube · cue · spell · drill · stick · chair

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. board — to get on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. drill — the tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. spell — magic
  12. drill — army training
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chair — a leader
  18. drill — a practice
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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