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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cue — a hint
  7. clip — for paper
  8. rest — what's left
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cue — for pool
  11. squash — to crush
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — to push
  15. rest — what's left
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rest — a break
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cap — a hat
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. clip — a video
  24. cap — a lid

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