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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mug — a face
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. game — wild animals
  9. tube — a container
  10. mug — to rob
  11. press — to push
  12. ground — a position
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ground — the earth
  15. game — a match
  16. stand — to bear
  17. shower — rain
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. press — newspapers
  24. ground — crushed

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