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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pop — soda
  12. tube — a container
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. tube — the underground
  16. can — a tin
  17. cell — a phone
  18. can — a tin
  19. pop — music
  20. rule — a law
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — a hole
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cell — in biology

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