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 120 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: bore · tube · bear · can · pitcher · mate · tear · capital

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tube — a container
  5. can — a tin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bear — the animal
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. can — a tin
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. tube — the underground
  18. capital — a city
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mate — to breed
  21. can — to be able to
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mate — a friend

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