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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. band — a music group
  3. ball — a great time
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. tube — the underground
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spell — magic
  11. ball — a dance
  12. band — a ring
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tube — in a tire

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