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: tube · ball · cold · bass · net · bank · mug · bore

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bank — for money
  6. tube — a container
  7. bank — for money
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bass — low music
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cold — not warm
  16. net — after costs
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bass — the fish
  19. net — for catching
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mug — a face
  24. bank — of a river

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