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: fine · toast · club · branch · pitcher · roll · saw · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fine — all right
  3. tube — the underground
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — a group
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. saw — the tool
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. club — for golf
  12. tube — a container
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. branch — a division
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. club — for dancing
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. fine — a penalty

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