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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · tube · mug · chip · mark · bulb · land · straw

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. chip — to eat
  3. land — ground
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rash — a series
  9. tube — a container
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. land — to come down
  14. rash — hasty
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — the underground
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. land — a country
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. chip — for betting

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