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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cell — in biology
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. field — farmland
  7. last — to go on
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. tube — the underground
  10. last — finally
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. deal — to handle
  13. field — for sport
  14. last — final
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cell — a phone
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. press — to push
  23. field — a subject
  24. press — a publisher

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