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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. snap — to click
  3. swing — to play on
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — in biology
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. press — to push
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cap — of ice
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. swing — music
  18. tube — a container
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cap — a hat
  21. swing — in golf
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. racket — for tennis

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