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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pop — soda
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cue — for pool
  9. field — farmland
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. field — a subject
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chair — a leader
  17. squash — to crush
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pop — music
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. field — for sport
  24. pop — to visit

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