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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. track — a song
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — in a road
  6. track — to keep track
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. game — wild animals
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. board — a committee
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wind — moving air
  17. track — a path
  18. tube — a container
  19. game — a match
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. game — a kind of play

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