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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. tear — to rip
  13. content — the amount
  14. tear — from crying
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ground — a position
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. content — happy
  20. bass — low music
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tear — from crying

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