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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pit — in a race
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. scale — in music
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. branch — a division
  13. tube — the underground
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mine — for digging
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stand — to bear
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pit — a hole
  20. key — in music
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chip — for betting
  24. scale — size or range

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