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 120 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 is an ace ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. firm — a company
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. plane — a tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pit — in a race
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. drill — army training
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bowl — a football final

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