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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pop — music
  3. charge — a price
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. cue — a hint
  6. band — a ring
  7. charge — electricity
  8. court — of a king
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. band — a music group
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. court — for sport
  16. charge — in control
  17. court — of law
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cue — for pool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. calf — a young animal

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