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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. fine — all right
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. object — an aim
  7. rash — hasty
  8. object — to protest
  9. swing — in golf
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cold — not warm
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cold — an illness
  17. fine — high quality
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. object — a thing
  20. tube — the underground
  21. toast — bread
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. toast — the most admired

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