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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. ground — a position
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bound — certain
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. board — a committee
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bass — the fish
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. season — of the year
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ground — the earth
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bound — obliged
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bass — low music
  18. tube — a container
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bound — tied together
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. season — in sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. board — to get on

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