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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chest — a box
  10. cue — a signal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hand — help
  15. mark — a grade
  16. club — for golf
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. club — a group
  23. swing — music
  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