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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. swing — to play on
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. swing — in golf
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. plane — a tool
  11. swing — music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. suit — clothes
  14. squash — to crush
  15. game — a match
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. tube — a container
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bat — the animal
  20. suit — in cards
  21. kick — in football
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. suit — to fit

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