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: pop · nail · tube · last · band · lie · squash · ground

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tube — a container
  3. pop — music
  4. last — to go on
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ground — a position
  10. squash — the sport
  11. band — a ring
  12. pop — to visit
  13. band — a music group
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — soda
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ground — the earth
  24. squash — to crush

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