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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. squash — the sport
  3. tube — a container
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. tube — the underground
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. club — for golf
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pound — a weight
  20. club — a group
  21. stand — to bear
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stem — a stem cell

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