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 120 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. drill — army training
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. tube — a container
  8. band — a music group
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. firm — decided
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. row — a line
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. firm — a company
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. drill — a practice
  21. firm — steady
  22. face — to confront
  23. band — a ring
  24. row — to paddle

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