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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tube — a container
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. staff — a stick
  10. content — the amount
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. staff — employees
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pop — music
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bat — the animal

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