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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. club — for dancing
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. tube — a container
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pop — music
  12. club — for golf
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bulb — for light
  15. club — a group
  16. cold — an illness
  17. branch — a division
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cold — not warm
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bulb — for light

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