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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. staff — employees
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. staff — a stick
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. cell — in biology
  13. tube — a container
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. staff — employees
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cell — a phone

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