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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. game — wild animals
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kid — child
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pit — in a race
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pit — a hole
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. key — in music
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cue — for pool
  24. game — a match

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