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: tear · trunk · deal · cue · rest · hand · bulb · perch

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a signal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. tear — from crying
  9. hand — in cards
  10. perch — the fish
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hand — help
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tear — from crying
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rest — what's left

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