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: bore · stick · tube · rush · net · hand · pitch · trunk

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. net — for catching
  5. hand — help
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. net — after costs
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rush — hurry
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. net — in sport
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bore — to drill
  22. tube — a container
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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