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: last · mine · mug · cold · tube · temple · staff · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. staff — a stick
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. mug — a face
  7. staff — employees
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — employees
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. tube — a container
  14. mug — a cup
  15. last — finally
  16. can — to be able to
  17. last — final
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. can — a tin
  20. last — to go on
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mug — to rob
  24. tube — the underground

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