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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cold — an illness
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. tube — a container
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. band — a music group
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cold — not warm
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. band — a ring

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