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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. plane — a tool
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. scale — size or range
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. file — a tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. kick — in football
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. file — a document
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. file — a line of people
  16. scale — in music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. tube — a container
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bulb — for light

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