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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pass — a permit
  4. spring — the season
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bat — the animal
  10. face — to confront
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. face — part of the head
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. spring — of water
  17. tube — the underground
  18. foot — a measure
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. temple — a place of worship

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