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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. branch — a division
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mug — to rob
  7. content — happy
  8. board — to get on
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. board — a committee
  16. mug — a face
  17. content — the amount
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. tube — a container
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. shower — to wash
  22. roll — a list
  23. mug — a cup
  24. roll — a cake

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