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 120 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. cell — a phone
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. present — a gift
  13. tube — a container
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. present — the time now
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. present — there
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. row — a line
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rest — what's left

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