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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tube — the underground
  6. staff — employees
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cell — a phone
  12. capital — a city
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. staff — a stick
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cell — in biology
  24. staff — employees

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