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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bound — tied together
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. season — in sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — of the year
  7. track — a song
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. root — the cause
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. root — of a word
  16. tube — a container
  17. track — a path
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — to keep track
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bat — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. root — of a plant

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