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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. tear — to rip
  3. kid — to tease
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. race — a contest
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. plane — a tool
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. race — the arms race
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. kid — child
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. race — humankind
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pass — a permit

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