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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — hasty
  6. root — of a word
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. root — the cause
  14. rash — a series
  15. spring — a coil
  16. root — of a plant
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spring — the season
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. spring — of water
  24. lie — an untruth

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