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 · kick · ruler · race · field · rash · toast · suit

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. field — for sport
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. race — the arms race
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. race — humankind
  12. field — a subject
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. race — a contest
  15. field — farmland
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kick — in football
  18. rash — hasty
  19. toast — bread
  20. rash — a series
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. tube — the underground
  24. ruler — a monarch

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