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: date · track · bat · tube · wind · bulb · calf · bear

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bat — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wind — moving air
  20. track — a song
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. date — the fruit

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