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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. race — a contest
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. race — humankind
  8. last — to go on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. last — finally
  12. tube — the underground
  13. kid — child
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. file — a document
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kid — to tease
  21. race — the arms race
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. last — final
  24. deal — to handle

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