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: spring · present · bass · rash · fork · rule · bank · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bank — for money
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — of water
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bass — low music
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rash — a series
  19. tube — a container
  20. present — a gift
  21. bank — for money
  22. rule — a law
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rash — hasty

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