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 · face · cap · pitch · calf · bound · mouse · fork

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitch — completely
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cap — of ice
  10. face — part of the head
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cap — a lid
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tube — in a tire

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