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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. band — a music group
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. chair — a leader
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. wound — an injury
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. band — a ring
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. prune — to trim

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