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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · chest · mate · ground · march · bank · bulb · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bank — for money
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mug — a face
  8. march — music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chest — of your body
  11. march — the month
  12. chest — a box
  13. bank — for money
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — to rob
  18. tube — the underground
  19. ground — a position
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ground — the earth
  22. tube — a container
  23. ground — crushed
  24. march — the month

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