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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. net — in sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rash — a series
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. net — after costs
  10. hand — help
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fork — in a road
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. net — for catching
  15. tube — a container
  16. rest — a break
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fork — a garden tool

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