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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. squash — the sport
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. spell — letters
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. squash — to crush
  10. content — the amount
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. content — happy
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wind — moving air
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. spell — magic
  20. tube — a container
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. key — the most important part
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. tube — the underground

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