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 112 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. branch — a division
  3. fine — all right
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. land — to come down
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. tube — a container
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tear — from crying
  14. net — in sport
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. land — ground
  19. tear — from crying
  20. cap — a hat
  21. land — a country
  22. cap — a lid
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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