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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bass — low music
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bass — the fish
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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