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: pitcher · tube · patient · branch · file · march · toast · deal

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. march — the month
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. march — the month
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. file — a line of people
  7. branch — a division
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. file — a document
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. march — music
  16. file — a tool
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — a container

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