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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. can — a tin
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lie — to recline
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. clip — a video
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fine — high quality
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. tube — a container
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fine — all right
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mine — for digging
  21. clip — to cut
  22. tube — the underground
  23. kick — in football
  24. can — a tin

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