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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. scale — size or range
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cap — of ice
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. scale — in music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — a hat
  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