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: season · pound · mine · cue · firm · face · saw · content

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. firm — a company
  5. cue — a signal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. face — part of the head
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. pound — a weight
  14. face — to point toward
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. face — to confront
  18. saw — the tool
  19. firm — decided
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. firm — steady
  23. mine — for digging
  24. content — videos and posts

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