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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stand — to bear
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. cue — for pool
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. ball — a great time
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hand — help
  17. cue — a hint
  18. present — there
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a dance
  23. scale — in music
  24. ball — a round shape

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