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: kid · sharp · hand · rush · bulb · cue · date · firm

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. kid — to tease
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rush — hurry
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — decided
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. cue — for pool
  14. firm — a company
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. cue — a signal
  19. firm — steady
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. cue — a hint
  22. kid — child
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. date — the fruit

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