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: bay · lie · stick · cap · net · tube · game · drill

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. net — for catching
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. drill — the tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. net — in sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. drill — army training
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — after costs
  20. cap — a lid
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cap — a hat
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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