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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. vault — a safe
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. march — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. tube — the underground
  24. last — final

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