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: saw · race · tube · lean · racket · pitcher · date · band

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — thin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. band — a music group
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — a container
  7. race — the arms race
  8. lean — to bend
  9. tube — the underground
  10. race — a contest
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. date — the fruit
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. race — humankind
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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