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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. prune — to trim
  8. field — for sport
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. field — farmland
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. tube — the underground
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. field — a subject
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ground — a position
  23. tube — a container
  24. lash — an eyelash

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