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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. squash — to crush
  3. land — to come down
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. land — a country
  11. squash — the sport
  12. tube — a container
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. land — ground
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. branch — of a tree

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