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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. object — an aim
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cap — a hat
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cap — of ice
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mine — for digging
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cap — a lid
  16. tube — a container
  17. face — part of the head
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. face — to confront
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. object — to protest
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wake — a trail
  24. racket — a loud noise

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