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 · stick · rule · trunk · tube · hand · stem · saw

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rule — a law
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. march — music
  12. tube — a container
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. stem — to come from
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. march — the month
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. march — the month
  24. rule — government

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