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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. track — a song
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hand — in cards
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. track — a path
  20. hand — help
  21. bore — to tire
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. track — to keep track
  24. coach — a trainer

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