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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tube — a container
  3. pass — a permit
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pitch — completely
  6. game — wild animals
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. current — electric
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. current — of water
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. kick — with a leg

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