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: tube · cap · current · band · present · spring · drill · staff

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. cap — of ice
  3. tube — a container
  4. staff — employees
  5. band — a ring
  6. present — there
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spring — a coil
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — of water
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — a lid
  13. drill — a practice
  14. present — the time now
  15. drill — army training
  16. current — happening now
  17. staff — a stick
  18. drill — the tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. present — a gift
  21. band — a music group
  22. spring — the season
  23. current — of water
  24. band — a rubber band

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