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: pop · cue · wind · sharp · bulb · mark · mine · leaves

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pop — soda
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pop — music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mine — for digging
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — to visit
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mark — a grade
  23. sharp — clever
  24. leaves — lets stay

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