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: tube · bat · pitcher · prune · stand · track · patient · mug

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mug — a cup
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mug — to rob
  8. track — a path
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — a face
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. track — a song
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — a container

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