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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. toast — bread
  3. field — for sport
  4. charge — in control
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. land — a country
  8. charge — electricity
  9. field — farmland
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. land — ground
  12. capital — a city
  13. plane — a tool
  14. field — a subject
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. land — to come down
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — money
  24. charge — a price

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