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 120 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: tube · kick · cue · board · squash · tear · bat · rush

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. board — a committee
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rush — hurry
  6. tube — the underground
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cue — for pool
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. tear — from crying
  18. kick — in football
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bat — the animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. board — to get on
  24. cue — a signal

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