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: can · tube · last · sharp · race · mug · cabinet · clip

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. race — a contest
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. tube — the underground
  4. clip — to cut
  5. race — the arms race
  6. last — to go on
  7. can — to be able to
  8. race — humankind
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. tube — a container
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. can — a tin
  18. clip — a video
  19. last — final
  20. can — a tin
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mug — a face
  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