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: pound · sharp · trunk · racket · ball · scale · tube · stick

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. sharp — clever
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pound — a weight
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. scale — size or range
  24. racket — for tennis

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