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: straw · bound · cue · mine · mouse · key · pop · shower

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pop — to visit
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pop — soda
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. key — in music
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. shower — rain
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bound — obliged

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