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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · leaves · cue · pitch · rule · plane · last · band

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. band — a music group
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. last — finally
  5. content — the amount
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. content — happy
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rule — government
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rule — a law
  13. last — final
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. band — a ring
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitch — completely
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. last — to go on

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