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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. tube — a container
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ball — a dance
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wax — to grow
  19. tube — the underground
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. capital — money
  24. plane — a tool

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