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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pit — in a race
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. last — final
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. branch — a division
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bulb — for light
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rush — hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. last — to go on

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