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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. capital — a city
  3. tube — the underground
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bore — to tire
  6. can — a tin
  7. bore — to drill
  8. can — a tin
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. tube — a container
  16. cell — in biology
  17. branch — a division
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cell — a phone
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cabinet — ministers

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