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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. club — a group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. club — for golf
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — a container
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. perch — the fish
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bowl — a dish

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