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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. tube — a container
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. present — a gift
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. march — the month
  16. tear — from crying
  17. present — the time now
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. march — music
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. pitcher — a jug

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