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: pit · content · wind · degree · tube · bay · lean · stem

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pit — in a race
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lean — thin
  7. tube — a container
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stem — to come from
  14. content — the amount
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. degree — an amount
  18. lean — to bend
  19. content — happy
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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