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: pass · stand · spring · court · hand · tube · cue · shower

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spring — of water
  5. tube — a container
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. court — of a king
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hand — help
  10. spring — a coil
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. spring — the season
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hand — in cards
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. court — for sport
  19. pass — a permit
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. court — of law
  24. shower — rain

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