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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cap — of ice
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stem — to come from
  11. last — to go on
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. last — finally
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pitch — completely
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. last — final
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. toast — the most admired

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