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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. can — a tin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rash — a series
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rush — hurry
  20. fine — all right
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pound — to hit hard

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