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: cabinet · net · season · cue · bark · track · date · bass

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. track — a song
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. track — a path
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bass — low music
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. net — after costs
  24. cue — a hint

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