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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hand — in cards
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spell — a short time
  11. court — of a king
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mark — a grade
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spell — letters
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. spell — magic
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tube — a container

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