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: tube · cell · ball · hand · rule · tear · suit · trunk

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. tear — to rip
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cell — a phone
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tear — from crying
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. suit — to fit
  16. hand — help
  17. rule — government
  18. ball — a great time
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rule — a law
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. tube — a container

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