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 120 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: leaves · tube · shower · deal · march · bore · branch · capital

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. shower — to wash
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. capital — a city
  7. branch — a division
  8. bore — to tire
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bore — to drill
  11. shower — rain
  12. march — music
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. march — the month
  19. tube — the underground
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. march — the month
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. tube — a container

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