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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fork — in a road
  17. tear — from crying
  18. staff — employees
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. date — the fruit
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. tube — the underground

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