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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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 — a signal
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. toast — bread
  4. cue — a hint
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bank — for money
  16. cue — for pool
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. snap — to click
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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