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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. tube — a container
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rash — hasty
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. land — to come down
  19. rash — a series
  20. land — a country
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mine — belonging to me

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