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 · tube · content · march · suit · rush · bat · cue

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. content — the amount
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cue — a signal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tube — a container
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. suit — to fit
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. content — happy
  23. march — music
  24. suit — in cards

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