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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. chip — to eat
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a music group
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. press — newspapers
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. band — a ring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cell — in biology
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. tube — a container
  24. press — to push

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