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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. kid — child
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mark — a trace
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mark — a grade
  14. band — a music group
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pound — a weight
  19. band — a ring
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. tube — a container
  23. kid — to tease
  24. tube — the underground

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