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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a trace
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. craft — boats
  11. mate — to breed
  12. capital — money
  13. spell — magic
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. present — there
  16. mark — a grade
  17. spell — a short time
  18. tube — a container
  19. lean — to bend
  20. present — the time now
  21. spell — letters
  22. present — a gift
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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