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: prune · branch · mouse · tear · mate · march · bulb · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tear — from crying
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. mate — to breed
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. march — the month
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — music
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. tear — to rip
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. march — the month
  23. branch — a division
  24. prune — to trim

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