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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pitch — completely
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rule — government
  11. cue — a signal
  12. pop — soda
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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