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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pop — soda
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — of ice
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. pop — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. field — for sport
  24. pop — to visit

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