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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. field — for sport
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cap — a hat
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. chip — for betting
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. scale — in music
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cap — a lid

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