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: mug · branch · mate · tube · arm · march · land · race

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. race — humankind
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. land — a country
  5. branch — a division
  6. mate — a partner
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mate — to breed
  10. land — ground
  11. march — the month
  12. mug — a cup
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mug — a face
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. race — a contest
  17. tube — a container
  18. land — to come down
  19. march — music
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. march — the month
  22. mate — a friend
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mug — to rob

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