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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kick — in football
  6. season — of the year
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bass — low music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. court — of law
  15. cold — an illness
  16. court — of a king
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bass — the fish
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. court — for sport
  23. season — in sport
  24. cold — not warm

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