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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. squash — the sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. court — of a king
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. season — in sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stock — goods
  13. firm — decided
  14. stock — shares
  15. court — for sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. firm — a company
  19. season — of the year
  20. court — of law
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pound — a weight
  24. squash — to crush

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