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: snap · tube · band · staff · saw · bound · last · cap

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bound — obliged
  3. last — to go on
  4. staff — a stick
  5. last — final
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tube — a container
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cap — of ice
  11. saw — the tool
  12. band — a music group
  13. tube — the underground
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. staff — employees
  16. cap — a lid
  17. band — a ring
  18. snap — to click
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bound — certain
  22. last — finally
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. saw — the tool

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