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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. field — for sport
  3. tube — the underground
  4. file — a document
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. tube — a container
  7. field — farmland
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. key — for a lock
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. file — a tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fine — high quality
  21. field — a subject
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. key — in music
  24. cell — in biology

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