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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cap — a lid
  3. file — a line of people
  4. hand — in cards
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tube — a container
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. file — a document
  18. cap — of ice
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cap — a hat
  21. tube — the underground
  22. game — a match
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. hand — help

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