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 · bat · mug · stem · spring · pitcher · file · wake

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bat — the animal
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. tube — a container
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spring — of water
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. file — a document
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. spring — a coil
  19. file — a tool
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mug — a face

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