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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. ball — a great time
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hand — help
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fine — high quality
  10. capital — money
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. tube — a container
  15. capital — a city
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fine — all right
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — a position

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