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: ball · straw · ruler · pit · spring · tube · pop · jam

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. spring — a coil
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pop — soda
  10. pit — a hole
  11. ball — a dance
  12. tube — the underground
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pit — in a race
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spring — the season
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ball — a great time
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. spring — of water
  22. tube — a container
  23. pop — music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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