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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. craft — a skill
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cell — a phone
  8. wax — to grow
  9. file — a document
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cue — a hint
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rash — a series
  19. file — a tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. craft — boats
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bay — a horse colour

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