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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. band — a music group
  5. staff — employees
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. perch — the fish
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bat — the animal
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. tube — the underground
  13. band — a ring
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. race — the arms race
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. staff — employees
  19. race — a contest
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — humankind
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. staff — a stick

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