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: rush · cabinet · pop · rash · staff · cue · stick · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. staff — a stick
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pop — soda
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rash — a series
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rash — hasty
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pop — music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. staff — employees
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rush — a thrill

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