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: clip · stock · can · bank · temple · tube · stick · cold

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cold — not warm
  3. clip — a video
  4. can — a tin
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — a container
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. clip — to cut
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cold — an illness
  18. stock — shares
  19. bank — for money
  20. clip — for paper
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — goods
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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