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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. chip — for betting
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. season — of the year
  7. tube — the underground
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mug — to rob
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bass — low music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. season — in sport
  22. snap — to click
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pitch — completely

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