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: deal · leaves · chest · rule · wake · rock · tube · last

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rule — government
  4. last — to go on
  5. tube — a container
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wake — a trail
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. last — final
  11. rock — music
  12. chest — a box
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. deal — to handle
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rule — a law
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. last — finally

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