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: tube · pop · court · date · roll · deal · jam · arm

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. date — the fruit
  7. court — for sport
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. roll — a list
  11. pop — music
  12. court — of a king
  13. pop — to visit
  14. tube — the underground
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. court — of law
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pop — soda
  19. tube — a container
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. roll — a cake
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — to handle

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