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: can · bank · chip · last · tube · field · mug · cell

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. last — to go on
  4. bank — for money
  5. field — farmland
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mug — a face
  9. last — final
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — in biology
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — for sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. field — a subject
  17. last — finally
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mug — to rob
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cell — a phone

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