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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. row — a line
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cap — a lid
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. row — to paddle
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. tube — a container
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cap — of ice
  19. lean — thin
  20. pass — a permit
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rest — a break
  24. snap — to click

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