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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. scale — in music
  6. hand — help
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. board — to get on
  9. cue — a hint
  10. swing — in golf
  11. fall — to drop
  12. scale — size or range
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fall — to drop
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cue — for pool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fall — the season
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hand — in cards

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