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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. tube — the underground
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chest — a box
  8. lean — thin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hand — help
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. lean — to bend
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. chest — of your body
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hand — in cards
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. club — for dancing

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