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: club · charge · kick · patient · band · hide · cell · cue

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cue — for pool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cell — in biology
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. charge — electricity
  8. club — for dancing
  9. charge — in control
  10. cell — a phone
  11. charge — a price
  12. kick — in football
  13. cue — a signal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cue — a hint
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. band — a music group
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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