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: club · band · game · roll · season · cue · pop · present

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. roll — a list
  5. club — a group
  6. cue — for pool
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. present — the time now
  11. pop — music
  12. club — for golf
  13. game — a match
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cue — a signal
  16. present — a gift
  17. pop — soda
  18. game — wild animals
  19. roll — a cake
  20. present — there
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cue — a hint
  24. band — a rubber band

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