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 · tube · shower · board · field · bound · deal · jam

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. board — to get on
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wake — a trail
  9. board — a committee
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. deal — to handle
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. field — farmland
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bound — certain
  21. tube — a container
  22. bound — obliged
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. jam — a tight spot

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