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: leaves · safe · cue · game · club · clip · foot · wind

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. cue — a signal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. clip — a video
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. cue — a hint
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. foot — a measure
  10. club — for golf
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. club — for dancing
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. clip — to cut
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cue — for pool
  21. game — a match
  22. clip — for paper
  23. game — wild animals
  24. club — a group

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