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: wave · tube · root · cap · chest · mug · wake · rock

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. tube — a container
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rock — music
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. root — of a word
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — of ice
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. root — the cause
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. root — of a plant
  24. mug — to rob

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