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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. court — of a king
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — a hint
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cue — for pool
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cold — not warm
  11. kid — to tease
  12. tube — a container
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. tube — the underground
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. kid — child
  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