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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pop — music
  3. tube — a container
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lie — to recline
  11. chest — a box
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pop — to visit
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rock — a stone
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bear — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pop — soda

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