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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. snap — to click
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. craft — boats
  7. chest — a box
  8. club — for golf
  9. row — a line
  10. cue — a hint
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cue — for pool
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cue — a signal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. club — a group
  21. chest — of your body
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rule — to rule out

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