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 124 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rash — a series
  6. spring — the season
  7. season — in sport
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tube — a container
  23. season — of the year
  24. pound — for dogs

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