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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. stock — goods
  4. fine — all right
  5. content — happy
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. tube — a container
  12. content — the amount
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fine — high quality
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chair — a leader
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. tube — in a tire

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