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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. suit — to fit
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cap — a lid
  11. suit — clothes
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cap — a hat
  14. tube — the underground
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. suit — in cards
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. drill — army training
  20. tube — a container
  21. drill — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. cap — of ice
  24. plane — a tool

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