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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. plane — a tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. craft — boats
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tube — a container
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lie — to recline
  19. craft — a skill
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — to crush
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. trunk — of a tree

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