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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — a container
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. drill — a practice
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. face — to confront
  10. tube — the underground
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. face — part of the head
  16. club — a group
  17. board — to get on
  18. face — to point toward
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. drill — army training
  21. board — a committee
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. can — to be able to
  24. drill — the tool

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