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: mine · rule · cue · fan · staff · band · pop · prune

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rule — a law
  5. pop — soda
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. prune — to trim
  10. staff — employees
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. band — a music group
  14. cue — a signal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rule — government
  22. staff — a stick
  23. band — a ring
  24. rule — to rule out

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