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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. prune — to trim
  6. tube — a container
  7. stand — to bear
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — for digging
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. tube — the underground

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