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 · stand · cell · tube · wake · chest · nail · kick

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fine — all right
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cell — in biology
  20. wake — a trail
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chest — a box

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