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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pass — a permit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. content — the amount
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. hand — help
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. swing — in golf
  14. cue — a signal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cue — a hint
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. plane — a tool
  22. swing — music
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. swing — to play on

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