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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rock — music
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. kid — to tease
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chair — a leader
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — a path
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ball — a dance
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. track — a song
  19. scale — in music
  20. kid — child
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. tube — the underground

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