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: wax · rule · shower · cue · pitch · fan · game · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. shower — to wash
  3. game — a match
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitch — completely
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wax — to grow
  10. shower — rain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rule — government
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rule — a law
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. game — wild animals
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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