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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rock — a stone
  6. can — a tin
  7. cue — a hint
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rock — music
  10. root — the cause
  11. drill — army training
  12. last — final
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. drill — the tool
  16. root — of a word
  17. can — a tin
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cue — for pool
  21. deal — to handle
  22. plane — a tool
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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