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 · craft · stick · face · cell · court · last · coach

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. tube — a container
  3. craft — boats
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. court — of a king
  8. last — final
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. face — to point toward
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — part of the head
  16. court — of law
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. court — for sport
  19. craft — a skill
  20. face — to confront
  21. tube — the underground
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. cell — a phone

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