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: tube · shower · cue · fork · mate · prune · hand · racket

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. shower — rain
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. tube — a container
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cue — for pool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — in a road
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. tube — the underground
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. mate — a partner
  24. prune — to trim

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