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: cold · pop · cue · leaves · rule · cell · fan · pass

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rule — a law
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pop — music
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pop — soda
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cue — for pool
  23. rule — government
  24. cold — not warm

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