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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. march — the month
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ball — a great time
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. court — for sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stock — shares
  15. march — the month
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — a hint
  18. march — music
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. court — of a king
  21. stock — goods
  22. court — of law
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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