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: bark · rush · cabinet · stem · season · temple · game · cue

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. season — in sport
  11. game — a match
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. season — of the year
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — hurry
  22. game — wild animals
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stem — to come from

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