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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · deal · cue · cell · date · tube

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cue — a signal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. deal — to handle
  6. tube — a container
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cell — a phone
  11. hand — help
  12. date — the fruit
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cell — in biology
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body

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