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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spell — a short time
  7. race — a contest
  8. spell — magic
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rash — a series
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rock — music
  23. spell — letters
  24. rock — a stone

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