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: ball · wound · tube · bulb · stock · file · mouse · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. stock — shares
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stock — goods
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — an injury
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bulb — for light

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