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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. tube — the underground
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fall — to drop
  11. tube — a container
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fall — the season
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stem — to come from
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rule — a law
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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