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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. court — of a king
  5. hand — in cards
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pitch — completely
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. key — in music
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. squash — the sport
  20. hand — help
  21. court — of law
  22. key — for a lock
  23. court — for sport
  24. hand — part of the body

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