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: field · craft · chair · rest · band · saw · tube · pit

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pit — in a race
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pit — a hole
  5. saw — the tool
  6. craft — boats
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. band — a ring
  9. rest — what's left
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. band — a music group
  12. field — for sport
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. tube — the underground
  19. field — farmland
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rest — a break
  23. rest — what's left
  24. field — a subject

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