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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. scale — in music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. club — for golf
  8. object — a thing
  9. lean — to bend
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ground — the earth
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pop — music
  17. club — a group
  18. pop — soda
  19. object — an aim
  20. ground — a position
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. object — to protest
  23. club — for dancing
  24. tube — a container

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