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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. object — to protest
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pitch — completely
  16. spring — of water
  17. wax — to grow
  18. tube — a container
  19. spring — the season
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. squash — the sport
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. dip — a sauce

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