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 116 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. rest — what's left
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. content — happy
  14. land — to come down
  15. bound — obliged
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tube — a container
  20. pop — soda
  21. rest — a break
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pop — music
  24. content — the amount

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