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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. hand — help
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tube — the underground
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. can — to be able to
  14. branch — a division
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tube — a container
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. hand — in cards
  23. chip — to eat
  24. prune — to trim

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