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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. season — of the year
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. land — a country
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mine — for digging
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mate — a friend
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. land — to come down
  18. kick — in football
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. tube — the underground
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. land — ground
  24. season — in sport

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