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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. last — final
  11. cue — for pool
  12. march — music
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. last — to go on
  18. branch — a division
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. last — finally
  24. branch — of a bank

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