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 · craft · fine · drill · cue · tear · saw · rock

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. pop — soda
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pop — music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cue — for pool
  7. drill — the tool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. saw — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fine — high quality
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rock — music
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — boats
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tear — to rip
  23. fine — all right
  24. pop — to visit

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