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: toast · bank · tube · capital · season · bore · leaves · rest

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. season — of the year
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rest — what's left
  7. season — in sport
  8. capital — money
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bank — of a river
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. tube — a container
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bank — for money
  18. rest — a break
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bore — to drill
  21. capital — a city
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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