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

Word bank: cell · staff · straw · tube · can · plane · hand · bound

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. staff — a stick
  4. can — to be able to
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. can — a tin
  8. cell — in biology
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. hand — in cards
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cell — a phone
  16. plane — a tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — a container
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bound — certain
  22. hand — help
  23. bound — obliged
  24. straw — a straw man

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