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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. can — to be able to
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. cue — for pool
  11. field — for sport
  12. bat — the animal
  13. swing — music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. field — farmland
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — to play on
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. field — a subject

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