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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. perch — the fish
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — a tin
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — a tin
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. scale — in music

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