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: tube · bark · deal · kid · jam · wind · wake · saw

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. tube — a container
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. tube — the underground
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. kid — to tease
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bark — to shout

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