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: cap · rash · dip · saw · tube · bat · foot · fork

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cap — of ice
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fork — in a road
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. tube — a container
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bat — the animal

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