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: tube · mug · foot · plane · straw · hide · bear · ground

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mug — a cup
  4. foot — a measure
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ground — the earth
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. ground — crushed
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mug — to rob
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mug — a face
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ground — a position
  24. plane — a tool

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