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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. club — for dancing
  3. roll — a cake
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. club — for golf
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. spring — of water
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. roll — a list
  14. club — a group
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — the season
  24. content — videos and posts

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