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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. file — a line of people
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. spring — the season
  6. file — a tool
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — happy
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. spring — a coil
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tube — a container
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. branch — a division
  21. spring — of water
  22. file — a document
  23. content — the amount
  24. deal — to handle

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