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 · pop · bound · cue · stock · spring · squash · temple

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. spring — the season
  3. stock — shares
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stock — goods
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. date — the fruit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. cue — a hint
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cue — for pool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pop — music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. spring — of water
  21. bound — obliged
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spring — a coil

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