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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. tube — a container
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mug — a face
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mug — to rob
  11. kid — child
  12. field — a subject
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cue — for pool
  19. field — for sport
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. shower — rain
  22. field — farmland
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. kid — to tease

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