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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. net — for catching
  3. face — part of the head
  4. mate — to breed
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. march — the month
  8. cue — for pool
  9. face — to confront
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. march — the month
  16. face — to point toward
  17. march — music
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. stand — to bear
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

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