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: hand · cue · season · rest · coach · fall · band · lie

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. band — a music group
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rest — what's left
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cue — a signal
  15. season — in sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hand — help
  19. season — of the year
  20. rest — a break
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fall — the season
  23. band — a ring
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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