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: stick · cell · roll · bound · spell · content · cue · present

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bound — certain
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. present — the time now
  5. spell — magic
  6. cue — for pool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cell — in biology
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bound — tied together
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spell — letters
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. roll — a list
  16. cell — a phone
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. content — the amount
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cue — a hint
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. content — happy
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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