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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. board — a committee
  4. court — for sport
  5. board — to get on
  6. rush — hurry
  7. staff — a stick
  8. cue — a hint
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. degree — from a university
  11. deal — to handle
  12. court — of a king
  13. cue — for pool
  14. staff — employees
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. staff — employees
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. court — of law

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