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 · drill · bowl · lie · tube · branch · rash · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rash — hasty
  10. drill — army training
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. tube — a container
  16. rash — a series
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — the fruit
  24. lie — an untruth

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