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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. tube — the underground
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wound — an injury
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rush — hurry
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pit — a hole
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bear — to put up with

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