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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. tube — a container
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. game — wild animals
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. tear — from crying
  8. club — a group
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — a city
  16. game — a match
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bank — of a river
  21. club — for golf
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tear — to rip
  24. capital — money

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