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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mark — a grade
  4. roll — a list
  5. file — a line of people
  6. plane — a tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mark — a trace
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. suit — to fit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rest — what's left
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. file — a document
  16. shower — to wash
  17. suit — clothes
  18. file — a tool
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rest — a break
  21. tube — a container
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. shower — rain

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