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: rash · cap · cue · jam · row · bulb · date · pop

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — a series
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — hasty
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. row — a line
  14. pop — soda
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. cap — a lid
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. cap — of ice
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cue — for pool
  23. date — on the calendar
  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