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: press · rash · cue · game · wound · wake · leaves · key

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cue — for pool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rash — a series
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wound — an injury
  15. press — newspapers
  16. key — in music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cue — a signal
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rash — hasty
  21. press — a publisher
  22. game — a match
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. press — to push

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