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: cell · pit · bear · cue · temple · land · drill · prune

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cell — a phone
  3. land — a country
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. drill — the tool
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cue — a signal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. cue — a hint
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. land — ground
  14. cue — for pool
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. drill — army training
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pit — in a race

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