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 120 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: cue · tear · scale · lie · season · chair · club · foot

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chair — a leader
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. club — for dancing
  7. tear — to rip
  8. foot — a measure
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cue — for pool
  12. scale — in music
  13. season — in sport
  14. tear — from crying
  15. season — of the year
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. scale — size or range
  18. club — for golf
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cue — a signal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. cue — a hint

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