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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spell — letters
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. chip — to eat
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. band — a ring
  12. spell — a short time
  13. branch — a division
  14. band — a music group
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. spell — magic
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. last — finally
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. last — final
  23. last — to go on
  24. chip — for betting

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