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: fine · season · kid · tube · present · arm · rule · band

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fine — all right
  5. rule — a law
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. present — there
  9. fine — high quality
  10. band — a ring
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kid — child
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. present — the time now
  17. tube — a container
  18. band — a music group
  19. kid — to tease
  20. present — a gift
  21. season — of the year
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rule — government
  24. season — in sport

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