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: patient · band · bulb · tear · cell · suit · bore · tube

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bore — to tire
  5. band — a ring
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tube — the underground
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bore — to drill
  17. tube — a container
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. band — a music group
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. tear — from crying

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