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 · tube · plane · rule · dip · snap · bore · kid

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tube — a container
  4. last — final
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. tube — the underground
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — government
  12. dip — to sink
  13. snap — to click
  14. plane — a tool
  15. last — finally
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. kid — child
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bore — to tire
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bore — to drill
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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