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: stick · chip · tube · pit · mouse · saw · spring · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pit — a hole
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pit — in a race
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. spring — the season
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. spring — of water
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. last — finally
  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