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 120 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: tube · cue · bear · pit · pop · lie · degree · content

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. tube — a container
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pop — music
  12. degree — from a university
  13. degree — an amount
  14. content — the amount
  15. pop — soda
  16. degree — temperature
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. tube — the underground
  21. content — happy
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pop — to visit
  24. lie — to recline

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