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 116 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: safe · content · cue · racket · court · bulb · last · trunk

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. cue — a hint
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. last — to go on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. last — final
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. last — finally
  11. court — for sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. content — the amount
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. court — of a king
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. cue — a signal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. court — of law
  24. bulb — for light

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