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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. branch — a division
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — a container
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cue — a signal
  22. stand — to bear
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — an untruth

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