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: branch · spell · current · date · fan · bat · tube · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. current — happening now
  11. date — the fruit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. branch — a division
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. current — electric
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. current — of water
  23. spell — magic
  24. bat — the animal

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