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: bulb · toast · band · squash · cue · sharp · lean · dip

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bulb — for light
  7. band — a ring
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bulb — for light
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. dip — to sink
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lean — thin

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