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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. wake — a trail
  3. object — a thing
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. object — to protest
  7. court — of a king
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stem — to come from
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — an aim
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. cue — a hint
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. court — of law

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