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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mine — for digging
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bulb — for light
  10. land — a country
  11. tube — the underground
  12. clip — a video
  13. land — to come down
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. clip — to cut
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. tube — a container
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — ground
  24. saw — the tool

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