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: swing · chair · craft · cue · hide · spell · nail · mine

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. swing — music
  8. craft — a skill
  9. spell — letters
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chair — a leader
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. spell — a short time
  18. craft — boats
  19. mine — for digging
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spell — magic
  22. cue — for pool
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. swing — to play on

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