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 120 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: tube · lie · hand · spring · racket · rock · fine · patient

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. fine — all right
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. tube — a container
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. spring — the season
  10. rock — a stone
  11. spring — a coil
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. tube — the underground
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hand — in cards
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — high quality
  22. hand — help
  23. spring — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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