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: straw · race · branch · cue · mark · pass · rush · bat

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bat — the animal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. race — a contest
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mark — a trace
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mark — a grade
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. branch — a division
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. race — humankind
  24. rush — a thrill

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