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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · tube · land · cue · straw · dip

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. tube — a container
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cue — a signal
  6. land — to come down
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. land — a country
  9. dip — to sink
  10. branch — a division
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. cue — for pool
  15. land — ground
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man

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