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 ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. band — a ring
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spring — the season
  6. squash — to crush
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. squash — the sport
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cue — a hint
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cue — a signal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cue — for pool
  22. band — a music group
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. kick — in football

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