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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chair — a leader
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. tear — to rip
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. row — a line
  19. tear — from crying
  20. club — for golf
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cue — a hint
  23. tear — from crying
  24. club — a group

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