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 116 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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. tube — in a tire
  4. craft — boats
  5. file — a document
  6. court — for sport
  7. file — a tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. drill — the tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. drill — army training
  20. court — of law
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a line of people
  23. court — of a king
  24. tube — the underground

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