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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. press — newspapers
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. hand — help
  8. tube — a container
  9. file — a tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. file — a document
  12. press — to push
  13. file — a line of people
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. last — final
  16. hand — in cards
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. roll — a list
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — a publisher
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — a sauce

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