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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. face — part of the head
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tube — a container
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. face — to confront
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lean — thin
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rock — music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lean — to bend
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. foot — a measure

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