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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. tube — a container
  4. race — a contest
  5. scale — in music
  6. net — in sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wound — an injury
  10. club — for golf
  11. race — humankind
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wound — an injury
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. net — for catching
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. scale — size or range
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. race — the arms race
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. net — after costs
  22. dip — to sink
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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