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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cue — for pool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. key — the most important part
  11. saw — the tool
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. key — in music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bark — to shout
  24. saw — the tool

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