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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spring — the season
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bank — of a river
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spell — magic
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. spring — a coil
  14. root — the cause
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. spell — letters
  18. spring — of water
  19. bark — to shout
  20. root — of a word
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitch — completely

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