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: wake · pop · club · chest · cue · arm · tube · court

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. club — a group
  4. court — of a king
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — a signal
  8. court — for sport
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pop — music
  11. club — for dancing
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tube — a container
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — a box
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. club — for golf
  19. pop — soda
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. court — of law
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wake — a trail

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