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: object · date · root · wind · club · snap · cue · kid

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cue — a hint
  6. club — for dancing
  7. kid — to tease
  8. root — the cause
  9. club — for golf
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. club — a group
  12. kid — child
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wind — moving air
  16. object — to protest
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — of a word
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cue — a signal
  21. snap — to click
  22. cue — for pool
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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