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 116 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. drill — army training
  3. shower — to wash
  4. can — a tin
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fine — all right
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. shower — rain
  14. can — to be able to
  15. tube — a container
  16. drill — the tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. can — a tin
  23. branch — a division
  24. nail — for a hammer

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