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 · shower · pit · net · trunk · wind · coach · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. shower — rain
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. net — after costs
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. tube — a container
  7. key — for a lock
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pit — a hole
  10. net — for catching
  11. pit — in a race
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. shower — to wash
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wind — moving air
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wind — moving air
  21. key — the most important part
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. net — in sport
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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