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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. cue — a hint
  4. club — for dancing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cue — a signal
  15. game — a match
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kid — to tease
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mouse — for a computer

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