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: racket · vault · game · tube · land · press · present · pit

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. press — a publisher
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. tube — a container
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. press — to push
  7. pit — a hole
  8. game — a match
  9. vault — a safe
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. game — wild animals
  12. land — ground
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. land — a country
  15. pit — in a race
  16. present — a gift
  17. tube — the underground
  18. land — to come down
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. press — newspapers
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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