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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. current — electric
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. file — a document
  8. field — for sport
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. file — a tool
  13. last — finally
  14. field — a subject
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. field — farmland
  18. scale — in music
  19. last — final
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. last — to go on
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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