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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. tube — the underground
  5. shower — to wash
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. tube — a container
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. shower — rain
  20. toast — bread
  21. mine — for digging
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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