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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. root — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. swing — to play on
  10. root — of a word
  11. capital — money
  12. wake — a trail
  13. capital — a city
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. swing — music
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. root — the cause
  24. saw — the tool

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