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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. shower — rain
  5. tube — a container
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. present — the time now
  8. tube — the underground
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. object — an aim
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bat — the animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. shower — to wash
  17. object — a thing
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. object — to protest
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. scale — in music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bat — for baseball

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