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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. face — to confront
  4. capital — money
  5. spring — the season
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. spring — a coil
  8. mate — a partner
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — to breed
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lean — thin
  13. tube — a container
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tube — the underground
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lean — to bend
  20. face — to point toward
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. club — for golf
  24. spring — of water

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