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: squash · cue · rock · foot · tube · roll · hide · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cue — for pool
  4. roll — a cake
  5. tube — the underground
  6. current — electric
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — a hint
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cue — a signal
  12. roll — a list
  13. rock — music
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rock — a stone
  17. tube — a container
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. current — of water
  20. foot — a measure
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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