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: last · toast · pit · wax · bank · hand · tube · chip

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bank — for money
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. last — final
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wax — to grow
  10. last — finally
  11. hand — in cards
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. tube — a container
  18. pit — a hole
  19. toast — bread
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. hand — help
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. toast — the most admired

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