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: wound · pop · bank · chip · face · tube · deal · prune

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wound — an injury
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. deal — to handle
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pop — music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bank — for money
  13. pop — to visit
  14. face — to confront
  15. bank — for money
  16. pop — soda
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — a container
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tube — the underground

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