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 116 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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. content — happy
  4. cue — a hint
  5. tube — a container
  6. kid — child
  7. cap — a hat
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cue — a signal
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cue — for pool
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. band — a ring
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. content — the amount
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cap — a lid
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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