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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chest — a box
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. content — happy
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chest — of your body
  13. club — for golf
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. club — for dancing
  17. tube — a container
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. club — a group
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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