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: tear · date · pit · cue · stem · key · tube · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cue — a hint
  3. tear — from crying
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. tube — a container
  12. pit — in a race
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stem — to come from
  15. season — of the year
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cue — a signal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. tear — from crying
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cue — for pool
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. date — on the calendar

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