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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cue — a signal
  9. season — in sport
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ground — a position
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pitch — completely
  20. season — of the year
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pass — a permit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. tube — a container

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