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: face · jam · band · mate · row · chip · tube · hide

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. face — part of the head
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. face — to confront
  12. mate — to breed
  13. band — a music group
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mate — a partner
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. chip — to eat
  19. face — to point toward
  20. band — a ring
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tube — a container
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mate — a friend

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