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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stock — shares
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mine — for digging
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stock — goods
  11. branch — a division
  12. cue — a hint
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cue — for pool
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — the season
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. fall — to drop

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