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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — a hat
  6. court — for sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. court — of a king
  9. tube — a container
  10. lean — thin
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cap — of ice
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. court — of law
  20. ground — crushed
  21. pop — soda
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pop — music

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