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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ground — a position
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. stock — goods
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ground — the earth
  12. race — a contest
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ground — crushed
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stock — shares

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