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

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bound — tied together
  9. vault — a safe
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stem — to come from
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. season — in sport
  14. hand — help
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tube — a container
  22. bound — certain
  23. mine — for digging
  24. 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