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: ruler · leaves · rock · tube · cold · can · swing · sharp

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. swing — music
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — not warm
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — a stone
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. tube — a container
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — clever
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cold — an illness
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. swing — to play on

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