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 116 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. file — a line of people
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. board — a committee
  6. bass — low music
  7. file — a tool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. pit — a hole
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pit — in a race
  14. file — a document
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bound — obliged
  19. tube — a container
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. board — to get on
  22. snap — to click
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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