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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mate — a partner
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spring — the season
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spring — of water
  12. tube — a container
  13. cap — a lid
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cap — a hat
  20. scale — in music
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. spring — a coil

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