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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fall — the season
  4. mug — a face
  5. fall — to drop
  6. cue — for pool
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kid — child
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. tube — a container
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spring — of water
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mug — to rob
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. spring — the season
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fall — to drop
  24. cue — a hint

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