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: present · bat · bass · cap · hide · tube · branch · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. present — there
  4. cap — a hat
  5. present — the time now
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. present — a gift
  9. bass — the fish
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. tube — the underground
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rule — government
  18. cap — a lid
  19. branch — a division
  20. bass — low music
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. tube — a container
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cap — of ice

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