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: cue · wake · fork · mouse · foot · date · rest · net

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cue — a signal
  3. net — after costs
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rest — a break
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. net — in sport
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rest — what's left
  18. net — for catching
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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