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: stick · cell · tube · field · stock · temple · mouse · stand

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. field — farmland
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. field — for sport
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. field — a subject

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