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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cue — for pool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bound — certain
  19. degree — temperature
  20. cue — a hint
  21. date — the fruit
  22. degree — an amount
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bound — tied together

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