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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. drill — a practice
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. tube — a container
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fine — all right
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tube — the underground
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. drill — army training
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fork — in a road
  20. game — a match
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. game — wild animals
  24. drill — the tool

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