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 120 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cue — for pool
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cue — a signal
  8. field — farmland
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rush — hurry
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mark — a grade
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. mark — a trace
  24. scale — size or range

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