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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cap — a lid
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. charge — in control
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cue — a hint
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tube — a container
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cue — for pool
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mate — a friend
  24. trunk — of a tree

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