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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. march — the month
  9. fine — high quality
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fine — all right
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. march — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. tube — a container
  22. march — the month
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. tube — the underground

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