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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. last — finally
  4. charge — in control
  5. last — final
  6. charge — a price
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. bound — obliged
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bound — tied together
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bound — certain
  17. tube — a container
  18. charge — electricity
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pop — to visit
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. last — to go on

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