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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. suit — to fit
  5. club — for golf
  6. shower — to wash
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. suit — in cards
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. shower — rain
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pop — music
  15. date — the fruit
  16. pop — to visit
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pop — soda
  19. club — for dancing
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. club — a group
  22. suit — clothes
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. date — on the calendar

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