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: branch · tube · last · chest · saw · race · coach · deal

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. tube — a container
  6. race — humankind
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. last — to go on
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. chest — of your body
  14. deal — to handle
  15. race — the arms race
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. race — a contest
  19. saw — the tool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. branch — a division

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