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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. tube — the underground
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cell — a phone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. tube — a container
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. nail — for a hammer

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