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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. bass — low music
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fine — all right
  8. content — happy
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bass — the fish
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. content — the amount
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. tube — a container
  24. content — videos and posts

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