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: swing · temple · scale · cold · game · rest · cue · chair

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. swing — music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chair — a leader
  10. cold — not warm
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rest — what's left
  13. game — a match
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. game — wild animals
  16. swing — to play on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rest — a break
  19. scale — in music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chair — to sit on

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