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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. court — for sport
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — of a king
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. face — to point toward
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rock — music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cue — a hint
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ground — a position
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rock — a stone
  21. court — of law
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cue — for pool

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