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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. swing — in golf
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. tube — a container
  5. spell — a short time
  6. firm — steady
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — a list
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. firm — a company
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. swing — to play on
  15. firm — decided
  16. swing — music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. spell — letters
  19. net — after costs
  20. spell — magic
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. tube — in a tire

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