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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tube — the underground
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tube — a container
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. track — a song
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. stem — to come from
  9. object — to protest
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. craft — boats
  16. bore — to tire
  17. track — a path
  18. bore — to drill
  19. craft — a skill
  20. object — an aim
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. object — a thing
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stem — a stem cell

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