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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rash — hasty
  3. capital — money
  4. can — a tin
  5. race — humankind
  6. capital — a city
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. net — after costs
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. net — in sport
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. race — a contest
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rock — music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. race — the arms race
  19. can — a tin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rash — a series
  22. tube — a container
  23. net — for catching
  24. rush — to hurry

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