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 · fan · pop · stem · clip · leaves · rock · wake

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. clip — for paper
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stem — to come from
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. tube — a container
  20. pop — music
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. rock — to move gently

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