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 · pop · mate · plane · cold · rest · patient · pitcher

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rest — a break
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. plane — a tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mate — a partner
  14. tube — a container
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mate — a friend
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — to visit

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