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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pitch — completely
  12. game — a match
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. court — for sport
  22. capital — a city
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lean — thin

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