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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. key — for a lock
  6. tube — a container
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rash — a series
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. drill — army training
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fine — high quality
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. drill — the tool
  21. key — in music
  22. fine — all right
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mug — to rob

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