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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rash — hasty
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. press — newspapers
  7. spell — letters
  8. press — to push
  9. kid — to tease
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rash — a series
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. branch — a division
  15. tube — the underground
  16. track — a path
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. spell — a short time
  20. sharp — clever
  21. spell — magic
  22. press — a publisher
  23. kid — child
  24. tube — in a tire

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