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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. prune — to trim
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wound — an injury
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. tube — the underground
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cap — a hat
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. tube — a container
  19. cold — not warm
  20. kid — child
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cold — an illness
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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