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: last · cabinet · kid · tube · net · wave · mate · coach

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. net — for catching
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. net — after costs
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. last — final
  12. mate — a friend
  13. last — to go on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. last — finally
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. kid — child
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. net — in sport
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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