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: rash · calf · tube · cap · track · chest · net · cabinet

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rash — a series
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. track — a path
  7. net — after costs
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — in sport
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cap — a hat
  14. net — for catching
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. tube — a container
  17. track — to keep track
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. track — a song
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chest — of your body

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