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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mug — a face
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pound — a weight
  10. can — to be able to
  11. land — ground
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. land — a country
  16. bark — to shout
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mug — to rob
  20. land — to come down
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pound — for dogs

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