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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wind — moving air
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. chip — to eat
  10. root — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. capital — a city
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. tube — a container
  17. capital — money
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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