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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bass — the fish
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rash — a series
  6. bass — low music
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. tube — a container
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. capital — a city
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cell — in biology
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. capital — money
  24. ruler — for measuring

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