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 116 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: racket · chair · kick · cue · track · bat · pitcher · patient

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — a hint
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. track — a path
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. track — a song
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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