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 116 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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rush — hurry
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rash — hasty
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. sharp — clever
  9. field — a subject
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. deal — to handle
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. field — for sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — a container
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rash — a series
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. field — farmland

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