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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. march — the month
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rock — music
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. field — farmland
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. board — a committee
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bass — low music
  14. field — a subject
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. board — to get on
  17. field — for sport
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. march — music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cue — a hint
  23. march — the month
  24. mouse — for a computer

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