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: patient · key · cue · bank · pitcher · saw · band · lash

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. band — a music group
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. band — a ring
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. saw — the tool
  16. key — the most important part
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — for money
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. saw — the tool
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bank — of a river
  23. key — in music
  24. cue — a signal

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