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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. game — wild animals
  7. race — a contest
  8. game — a match
  9. race — the arms race
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. field — a subject
  12. board — a committee
  13. field — for sport
  14. pit — in a race
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. race — humankind
  17. field — farmland
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tube — a container
  22. board — to get on
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. board — a flat piece

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