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: bat · pit · tube · march · tear · mark · firm · foot

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mark — a trace
  3. firm — a company
  4. bat — the animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. tube — the underground
  7. firm — decided
  8. mark — a grade
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. march — music
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. march — the month
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. foot — a measure
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pit — a hole
  24. march — the month

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