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: cell · land · mine · tube · cue · bark · kick · roll

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. kick — in football
  4. tube — a container
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cue — for pool
  14. roll — a list
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. land — ground
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bark — to shout
  19. land — a country
  20. roll — a cake
  21. land — to come down
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cue — a hint

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