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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bat — the animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. branch — a division
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — to fit

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