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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. current — of water
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. current — electric
  7. cold — not warm
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — happening now
  20. plane — a tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bank — of a river

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