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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. current — of water
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rule — government
  11. tube — a container
  12. kid — child
  13. tube — the underground
  14. current — electric
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. current — happening now
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. track — to keep track
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rule — a law
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. leaves — to go away

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