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: wake · content · bat · tube · fall · bowl · net · current

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. current — of water
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. content — the amount
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bat — the animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fall — the season
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. current — electric
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. fall — to drop
  19. content — happy
  20. current — happening now
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. tube — the underground
  24. net — for catching

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