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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. season — in sport
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. content — happy
  5. root — the cause
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. season — of the year
  8. kid — to tease
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. tube — a container
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. board — to get on
  17. root — of a plant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. content — the amount
  23. board — a committee
  24. root — of a word

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