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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chip — to eat
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. last — final
  7. staff — employees
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. tube — the underground
  11. last — to go on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. branch — a division
  15. last — finally
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. tube — a container
  18. file — a tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. chip — for betting
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. file — a document
  23. rest — what's left
  24. branch — of a tree

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