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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. land — ground
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a face
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mug — to rob
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. degree — temperature
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. branch — a division
  11. mug — a cup
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. degree — from a university
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tube — the underground
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — an amount
  24. foot — a measure

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