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 120 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: tube · bank · chest · ruler · ball · pound · sharp · prune

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. sharp — clever
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bank — for money
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bank — of a river
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chest — a box
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ball — a round shape

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