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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. shower — rain
  3. tube — a container
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. snap — to click
  6. band — a ring
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. craft — a skill
  10. band — a music group
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. shower — to wash
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. craft — boats

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