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: fan · season · present · nail · branch · rush · clip · tube

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. clip — a video
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. present — a gift
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tube — a container
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. tube — the underground
  14. present — there
  15. branch — a division
  16. clip — to cut
  17. season — in sport
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. clip — for paper
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — of the year
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. nail — for a hammer

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