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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. shower — rain
  5. pitch — completely
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. tube — the underground
  19. content — the amount
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. shower — to wash
  24. content — happy

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