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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cue — a signal
  3. present — the time now
  4. chair — a leader
  5. present — there
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bat — the animal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. present — a gift
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. tube — a container
  24. wake — a trail

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