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: content · mark · ball · bore · file · fan · dip · tube

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. tube — a container
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bore — to tire
  7. mark — a trace
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. file — a line of people
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. file — a document
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. file — a tool
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bore — gave birth

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