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: mine · jam · can · board · bay · date · tube · field

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. field — farmland
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. can — to be able to
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. board — a committee
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. can — a tin
  13. tube — the underground
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. field — a subject
  16. can — a tin
  17. tube — a container
  18. board — to get on
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. field — for sport
  22. mine — for digging
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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