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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. tube — a container
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bass — low music
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. drill — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. tube — the underground
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. chest — of your body

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