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: staff · cell · pop · pitcher · cap · tube · patient · mouse

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cap — a hat
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. staff — employees
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cap — a lid
  19. staff — employees
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mouse — for a computer

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