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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. club — a group
  5. cold — not warm
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. tube — a container
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rock — a stone
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. spell — letters
  13. rock — music
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cold — an illness
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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