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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a line of people
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bank — for money
  12. march — music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bank — for money
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a tool
  17. bank — of a river
  18. file — a document
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — to trim
  21. march — the month
  22. tube — a container
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. prune — the fruit

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