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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · cap · band · pit · lie · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. band — a ring
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cap — of ice
  6. tube — a container
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — magic
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spell — letters
  13. tube — the underground
  14. band — a music group
  15. cap — a lid
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pit — a hole

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