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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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. track — a path
  4. rash — hasty
  5. march — the month
  6. tube — the underground
  7. face — to point toward
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. tube — a container
  10. rash — a series
  11. stem — to come from
  12. face — part of the head
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — a song
  15. march — the month
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. track — to keep track
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. plane — a tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. march — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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