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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. present — the time now
  4. rule — government
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. rule — a law
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. present — there
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ground — a position
  18. spring — of water
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bulb — for light
  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