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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. present — there
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — moving air
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. present — the time now
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bear — the animal
  20. press — to push
  21. branch — a division
  22. press — a publisher
  23. tube — a container
  24. branch — of a bank

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