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: tear · pound · clip · jam · pit · bay · tube · mug

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pit — in a race
  8. tube — the underground
  9. clip — a video
  10. mug — a face
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mug — to rob
  13. clip — for paper
  14. tear — from crying
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. clip — to cut
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. tube — a container

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