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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. snap — to click
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. tube — a container
  10. fork — in a road
  11. key — in music
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. key — for a lock
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pass — a permit
  20. key — the most important part
  21. branch — a division
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cap — a lid

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