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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. tube — the underground
  11. march — the month
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. tube — a container
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. kid — child
  18. press — to push
  19. march — music
  20. kid — to tease
  21. press — a publisher
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wind — moving air

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