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: cue · bore · can · snap · bowl · mine · band · foot

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. cue — a hint
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. foot — a measure
  19. snap — to click
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. band — a ring
  24. foot — part of the body

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