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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. tube — the underground
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. net — in sport
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. tube — a container
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. net — after costs
  23. mine — for digging
  24. coach — a trainer

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