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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — a container
  6. branch — a division
  7. squash — to crush
  8. suit — to fit
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. race — humankind
  14. suit — in cards
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. race — a contest
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. race — the arms race
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. squash — the sport
  22. scale — size or range
  23. suit — clothes
  24. scale — in music

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