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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. game — a match
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — to be able to
  14. charge — in control
  15. can — a tin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. charge — a price
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bulb — for light
  23. game — wild animals
  24. wound — an injury

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