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 116 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: safe · sharp · shower · prune · fan · last · cue · bore

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cue — a signal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bore — to tire
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. prune — to trim
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. last — to go on
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cue — for pool
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. prune — 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