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: bank · cue · fan · mark · ball · mug · cold · straw

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bank — for money
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cue — a signal
  21. mug — a face
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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