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: kid · cabinet · scale · ball · land · pop · cue · net

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cue — for pool
  4. net — for catching
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. scale — in music
  9. net — after costs
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. land — a country
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. kid — child
  15. net — in sport
  16. pop — music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. land — to come down
  19. cue — a hint
  20. kid — to tease
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ball — a dance
  24. land — ground

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