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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bore — to drill
  10. tube — a container
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. content — happy
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. scale — in music
  17. can — to be able to
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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