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 · pitcher · mug · press · field · game · stock · cabinet

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. field — farmland
  3. game — wild animals
  4. cue — a hint
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mug — to rob
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. field — for sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stock — shares
  16. mug — a face
  17. press — to push
  18. mug — a cup
  19. field — a subject
  20. stock — goods
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. game — a match
  24. cabinet — ministers

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