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 · ball · track · date · toast · cold · lean · plane

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. toast — bread
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. tube — the underground
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. track — a song
  7. date — the fruit
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tube — a container
  11. lean — thin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ball — a great time
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — an illness

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