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: lean · pit · field · tear · bank · tube · rash · pop

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — a series
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bank — of a river
  12. field — farmland
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bank — for money
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pop — music
  18. field — for sport
  19. tube — a container
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. tear — to rip
  22. field — a subject
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — soda

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