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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stock — shares
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stock — goods
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kid — child
  12. suit — in cards
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. tube — a container
  21. bound — obliged
  22. suit — clothes
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bound — certain

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