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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mark — a grade
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mark — a trace
  6. board — a committee
  7. shower — rain
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. last — finally
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rash — hasty
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rash — a series
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. cue — for pool
  23. last — to go on
  24. board — to get on

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