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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spell — letters
  3. tube — a container
  4. bound — certain
  5. chest — a box
  6. object — to protest
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. object — an aim
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. object — a thing
  12. bound — obliged
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spell — a short time
  20. key — for a lock
  21. spell — magic
  22. chest — of your body
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

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