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: tube · wound · rest · degree · craft · leaves · patient · charge

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. craft — boats
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tube — a container
  6. charge — a price
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rest — a break
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. degree — an amount
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wound — an injury
  13. charge — in control
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. tube — the underground
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — from a university
  24. leaves — of a tree

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