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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. content — happy
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. content — the amount
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chip — for betting
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cue — a hint
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. current — electric
  24. chip — to eat

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