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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mate — to breed
  3. tube — the underground
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. degree — from a university
  6. staff — a stick
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. branch — a division
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. tube — a container
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. capital — money
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mate — a friend
  16. degree — temperature
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. degree — an amount
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mate — a partner
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. capital — a city

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