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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. season — in sport
  7. tube — the underground
  8. object — an aim
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — in a race
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. scale — size or range
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. object — to protest
  17. scale — in music
  18. object — a thing
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. season — of the year
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pit — a hole

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