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: track · bear · squash · cue · scale · tube · branch · capital

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — a city
  4. capital — money
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. track — a song
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. tube — a container
  16. scale — size or range
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. branch — a division
  22. scale — in music
  23. track — to keep track
  24. branch — of a bank

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