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 120 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 · cap · tear · arm · wake · suit · fork · straw

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cue — for pool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. tear — to rip
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wake — a trail
  18. tear — from crying
  19. cap — a lid
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cue — a signal
  24. arm — part of the body

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