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 120 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. key — for a lock
  10. dip — to sink
  11. key — in music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. staff — employees
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mark — a trace
  24. staff — employees

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