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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. cue — a hint
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stock — goods
  11. bass — low music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stock — shares
  15. ground — a position
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bound — certain
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bark — to shout
  23. chip — to eat
  24. cue — for pool

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