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: bank · temple · track · wind · tube · wake · mouse · bound

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tube — a container
  4. track — to keep track
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — obliged
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bank — of a river
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bank — for money
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — a trail
  18. track — a path
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — certain
  24. wake — before a funeral

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