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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. fine — high quality
  6. staff — employees
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. staff — employees
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. mark — a trace
  12. kid — child
  13. tube — a container
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fine — all right
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. date — the fruit

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