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: bulb · fork · cell · rest · cue · row · mark · band

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rest — what's left
  4. band — a music group
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cell — in biology
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rest — a break
  15. band — a ring
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cue — a hint
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cue — for pool

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