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: track · bulb · bass · tube · trunk · roll · drill · scale

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. tube — a container
  8. track — a path
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — the underground
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bass — low music
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bulb — for light
  20. drill — a practice
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. track — to keep track
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a roll

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