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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spring — the season
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fine — all right
  17. tube — a container
  18. spring — of water
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. pit — in a race

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