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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. scale — in music
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. scale — size or range
  5. branch — a division
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. land — a country
  9. tube — the underground
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. vault — a safe
  13. land — to come down
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. track — a song
  18. saw — the tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. file — a document
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. land — ground
  24. saw — the tool

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