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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. mug — a cup
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mug — to rob
  7. tube — the underground
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wake — a trail
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bass — low music
  12. ground — a position
  13. drill — army training
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. present — there
  16. tube — a container
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. present — a gift
  21. mug — a face
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. present — the time now

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