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 116 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: shower · pound · ruler · kid · pit · content · trunk · tube

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pound — a weight
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. pit — a hole
  19. tube — the underground
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. shower — rain
  23. tube — a container
  24. pit — in a race

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