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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. spring — the season
  4. rush — hurry
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. object — a thing
  9. craft — a skill
  10. object — to protest
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spring — a coil
  13. object — an aim
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. spring — of water
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. deal — to handle
  21. craft — boats
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tube — a container

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