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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. root — of a plant
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. root — of a word
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wind — moving air
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — a safe
  19. plane — a tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. wind — moving air
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bulb — for light

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