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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. degree — an amount
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bank — for money
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bank — for money
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. march — music
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. rule — government
  20. degree — temperature
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bank — of a river
  23. rule — a law
  24. tube — a container

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