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: bear · date · spring · cue · tube · content · chip · lash

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. tube — a container
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. spring — of water
  11. content — happy
  12. cue — a signal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cue — a hint
  15. spring — the season
  16. cue — for pool
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chip — to eat
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bear — the animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. tube — in a tire

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