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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. cue — for pool
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rash — hasty
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. fine — all right
  9. present — there
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. game — wild animals
  12. last — final
  13. bass — low music
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. present — the time now
  16. kid — child
  17. rash — a series
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fine — high quality
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. present — a gift

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