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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stock — shares
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. tube — the underground
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. rash — a series
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. tube — a container
  21. stock — goods
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. perch — the fish
  24. kid — child

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