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: spring · tube · row · bay · wind · pitcher · bowl · safe

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spring — of water
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. row — a line
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. spring — the season
  13. row — to paddle
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. spring — a coil
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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