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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ground — the earth
  3. drill — a practice
  4. game — a match
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. content — happy
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bore — to drill
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cell — in biology
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. content — the amount
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. drill — army training
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — wild animals
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bore — to tire

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