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

Word bank: nail · toast · can · wake · tube · net · lean · branch

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. net — after costs
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. branch — a division
  6. net — for catching
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — bread
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lean — to bend
  11. net — in sport
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lean — thin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wake — a trail
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — a container
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tube — the underground

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