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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rush — hurry
  3. tube — a container
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pit — in a race
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. kick — in football
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pit — a hole
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cap — a hat
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lie — an untruth

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