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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. field — a subject
  3. bank — of a river
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. field — for sport
  8. toast — bread
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bark — to shout
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bank — for money
  16. field — farmland
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — a container
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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