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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cap — a hat
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cap — of ice
  7. staff — employees
  8. tube — a container
  9. cap — a lid
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. staff — employees
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rush — hurry
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. capital — money
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. capital — a city

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