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: dip · hide · fork · wound · current · tube · temple · march

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. march — the month
  3. tube — a container
  4. current — electric
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — happening now
  8. march — the month
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. march — music
  12. fork — in a road
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. tube — the underground
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. current — of water

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