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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. drill — the tool
  3. scale — in music
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — electric
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fall — to drop
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. current — of water
  14. squash — the sport
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. squash — to crush
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wound — an injury
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cue — a signal
  23. current — happening now
  24. fall — the season

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