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: chair · bulb · cue · shower · stick · hand · present · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. present — there
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — the time now
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. hand — help
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chair — a leader
  24. present — a gift

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