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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. land — ground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pop — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ball — a great time
  16. tube — a container
  17. land — a country
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rash — a series
  22. land — to come down
  23. pop — to visit
  24. swing — to play on

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