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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. tube — a container
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. kick — in football
  14. bass — the fish
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. face — part of the head
  19. tube — the underground
  20. face — to confront
  21. pop — soda
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. face — to point toward

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