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 120 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pop — music
  4. tube — a container
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bound — certain
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. track — a path
  13. mate — to breed
  14. season — in sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mate — a partner
  22. track — a song
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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