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: trunk · ball · bowl · cap · rush · bat · field · tube

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. field — farmland
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. field — a subject
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cap — a lid
  13. field — for sport
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. tube — a container
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bat — the animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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