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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. kid — to tease
  6. drill — a practice
  7. tube — a container
  8. lean — to bend
  9. drill — army training
  10. lean — thin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tube — the underground
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bank — of a river
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. kid — child

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