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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tube — a container
  5. cell — a phone
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wound — an injury
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pitch — completely
  12. can — a tin
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. tube — the underground
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cell — in biology
  24. scale — in music

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