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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tube — a container
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rock — a stone
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rest — a break
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cell — a phone
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rest — what's left
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cell — in biology
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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