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 124 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. net — after costs
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — money
  5. current — electric
  6. perch — the fish
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — the underground
  10. shower — rain
  11. net — in sport
  12. current — of water
  13. net — for catching
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. current — happening now
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. club — a group
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tube — a container
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. capital — a city

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