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: wave · tube · sharp · rest · cue · field · mark · snap

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — a container
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. sharp — clever
  10. field — farmland
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cue — a hint
  13. field — a subject
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rest — a break
  17. field — for sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. snap — to click
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mark — a grade

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