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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — steady
  4. net — after costs
  5. staff — a stick
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. firm — a company
  10. tube — the underground
  11. field — farmland
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — a container
  15. staff — employees
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. staff — employees
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. firm — decided
  20. net — for catching
  21. field — a subject
  22. plane — a tool
  23. field — for sport
  24. net — in sport

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