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 · lash · fall · cap · pit · degree · stock · coach

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. pit — in a race
  7. stock — goods
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. cap — a hat
  11. tube — a container
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stock — shares
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fall — to drop
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. pit — a hole
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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