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: tube · ball · bound · pitcher · dip · cabinet · chip · tear

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bound — tied together
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bound — obliged
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. tube — a container
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. tube — the underground
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bound — certain
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chip — for betting
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — in a tire

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