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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. drill — a practice
  3. spell — magic
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. drill — army training
  9. wind — moving air
  10. tube — the underground
  11. prune — to trim
  12. roll — a cake
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. roll — a list
  16. drill — the tool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rest — a break
  22. spell — letters
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. prune — to trim

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