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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stock — goods
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stock — shares
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bat — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. drill — army training
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. tube — a container

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