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: toast · fall · game · pitcher · bound · calf · cell · cue

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bound — certain
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. game — wild animals
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. toast — bread
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cell — in biology
  18. game — a match
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cue — for pool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. bound — obliged

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