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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. tube — a container
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fine — all right
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. capital — a city
  13. foot — a measure
  14. capital — money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. rush — hurry
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fine — high quality
  24. tube — in a tire

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