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: coach · ground · content · track · deal · bear · rash · tube

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ground — crushed
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — a path
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rash — hasty
  17. content — happy
  18. ground — a position
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tube — a container
  24. track — a song

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