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: band · tube · spell · dip · charge · ruler · net · branch

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. charge — in control
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. spell — magic
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. band — a music group
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — electricity
  13. net — for catching
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. dip — to sink
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. charge — a price
  18. tube — the underground
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. branch — a division
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — letters
  24. tube — in a tire

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