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 124 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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 — a container
  2. race — a contest
  3. land — ground
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. race — the arms race
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. race — humankind
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. land — to come down
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. land — a country
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mouse — the animal
  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