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: tube · last · nail · bass · stem · rest · chip · roll

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bass — the fish
  6. roll — a cake
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. last — to go on
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. tube — a container
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rest — a break
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. roll — a list
  22. bass — low music
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. nail — for a hammer

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