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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. row — a line
  3. net — for catching
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fork — in a road
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. court — of a king
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. spell — magic
  16. vault — a safe
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. net — after costs
  19. row — to paddle
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. tube — the underground
  22. net — in sport
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fork — a garden tool

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