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: tube · net · capital · spell · hide · drill · stand · rush

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. net — for catching
  3. spell — a short time
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. net — after costs
  7. capital — a city
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spell — letters
  12. tube — the underground
  13. capital — money
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tube — a container
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. net — in sport
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. drill — army training
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. drill — the tool

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