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 · charge · game · tube · pit · last · cold · stem

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. charge — electricity
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. pit — in a race
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bank — for money
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cold — not warm
  13. last — to go on
  14. cold — an illness
  15. game — a match
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. last — final
  21. tube — the underground
  22. charge — in control
  23. pit — a hole
  24. charge — a price

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