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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. race — a contest
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — a container
  6. wind — moving air
  7. race — humankind
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. tube — the underground
  10. race — the arms race
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wake — a trail
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. roll — a list
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wind — moving air
  22. roll — a cake
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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