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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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. wake — before a funeral
  4. tube — a container
  5. mug — a cup
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wake — a trail
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. season — in sport
  10. mug — to rob
  11. drill — a practice
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. drill — army training
  16. press — newspapers
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mug — a face

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