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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. can — a tin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pound — a weight
  5. tube — the underground
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — happy
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. content — the amount
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. dip — to sink
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. court — of law
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mine — for digging
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mine — belonging to me

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