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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cue — for pool
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. cue — a hint
  7. swing — music
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ground — a position
  10. land — ground
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. staff — employees
  15. ground — crushed
  16. land — to come down
  17. swing — to play on
  18. land — a country

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