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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. staff — employees
  3. cue — a hint
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chest — of your body
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. swing — music
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pop — music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chest — a box
  18. staff — a stick
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pop — soda
  23. mouse — the animal
  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