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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. snap — to click
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. toast — bread
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. hand — help
  8. object — a thing
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. chair — a leader
  11. scale — size or range
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. object — an aim
  14. hand — in cards
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cap — a lid
  19. object — to protest
  20. tube — the underground
  21. scale — in music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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