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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cue — a hint
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. chest — a box
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rash — a series
  16. tube — the underground
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rash — hasty
  24. tube — a container

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