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: game · fine · can · bat · prune · cue · cap · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cap — a hat
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cap — a lid
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. fine — all right
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cue — for pool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. game — a match
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fine — high quality

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