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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rock — music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. branch — a division
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. tube — the underground
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chest — a box
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. tube — a container
  16. rock — a stone
  17. chip — to eat
  18. toast — bread
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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