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

Word bank: wind · mouse · rush · chair · saw · ground · stem · tube

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ground — the earth
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — a container
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rush — a thrill

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