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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cue — a signal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. chest — of your body
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. game — wild animals
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cue — for pool
  13. swing — music
  14. game — a match
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. swing — to play on
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cell — a phone
  22. row — a line
  23. chest — a box
  24. cue — a hint

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