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: fork · mouse · clip · club · season · cue · scale · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. clip — for paper
  4. club — for dancing
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. clip — a video
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. club — for golf
  12. cue — for pool
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. club — a group
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fork — in a road
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. deal — an agreement

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