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: band · dip · cap · cold · cue · current · staff · tube

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. cue — for pool
  3. current — of water
  4. staff — employees
  5. tube — the underground
  6. band — a music group
  7. tube — a container
  8. current — happening now
  9. dip — to sink
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. current — electric
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — not warm
  18. band — a ring
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cue — a hint
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. staff — employees
  23. cap — of ice
  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