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: date · bulb · face · leaves · mine · cue · suit · court

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. date — the fruit
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cue — a hint
  7. court — of a king
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — for light
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. cue — for pool
  24. date — on the calendar

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