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: march · bulb · mouse · fall · bore · race · tube · field

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fall — the season
  7. field — for sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. fall — to drop
  15. march — the month
  16. field — farmland
  17. tube — a container
  18. march — music
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bore — to tire
  21. race — humankind
  22. field — a subject
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bulb — for light

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