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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lean — thin
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. spring — of water
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spring — the season
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. chest — of your body
  15. tube — the underground
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. chest — a box
  19. lean — to bend
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bowl — a dish

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