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: cabinet · stand · wake · tube · can · net · rush · bank

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. net — for catching
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. net — in sport
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tube — a container
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stand — to bear
  22. rush — hurry
  23. net — after costs
  24. can — a tin

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