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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. swing — to play on
  5. board — a committee
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. march — the month
  10. bat — the animal
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. march — music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. board — to get on
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. march — the month
  24. wake — a trail

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