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 116 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 · bark · stand · bore · cap · mine · can · scale

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stand — to bear
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cap — a lid
  7. tube — a container
  8. can — a tin
  9. scale — in music
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mine — for digging
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stand — on your feet

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