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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. net — for catching
  3. bass — the fish
  4. tube — a container
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. shower — rain
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rest — a break
  11. pop — soda
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bass — low music
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. net — in sport
  17. pitch — completely
  18. net — after costs
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pop — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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