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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. swing — music
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cold — an illness
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rule — a law
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mug — a cup
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rule — government
  21. mug — a face
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. cold — not warm
  24. fan — a supporter

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