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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. key — for a lock
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tube — the underground
  7. content — the amount
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stock — goods
  14. bulb — for light
  15. key — in music
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cell — in biology
  18. tube — a container
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pass — a permit
  21. kid — child
  22. content — happy
  23. cell — a phone
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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