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 124 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cue — a hint
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mug — a face
  7. press — to push
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mine — for digging
  14. press — newspapers
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. scale — size or range
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mug — to rob
  20. stem — to come from
  21. scale — in music
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. arm — part of the body

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