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: key · bark · temple · mine · mate · tube · pop · bay

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mate — a friend
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mine — for digging
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. tube — a container
  22. key — in music
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — music

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