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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. track — a song
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — employees
  9. mark — a grade
  10. track — a path
  11. mark — a trace
  12. sharp — clever
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bark — to shout
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. staff — employees
  17. cue — a hint
  18. track — to keep track

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