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: cap · tube · wave · arm · band · patient · stock · mine

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mine — for digging
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stock — shares
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. band — a ring
  18. cap — a lid
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stock — goods
  24. tube — the underground

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