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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. club — for golf
  3. press — to push
  4. cue — for pool
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. chest — of your body
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. chest — a box
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a ring
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. band — a music group
  21. chest — of your body
  22. press — newspapers
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. press — a publisher

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