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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. race — humankind
  7. march — the month
  8. rock — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. net — in sport
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. race — a contest
  17. wake — a trail
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. net — for catching
  21. tube — a container
  22. net — after costs
  23. rock — a stone
  24. safe — a strongbox

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