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: tube · rock · shower · bank · deal · ruler · pass · field

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. shower — rain
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. tube — a container
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. field — for sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. field — farmland
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. field — a subject
  21. pass — a permit
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bank — of a river
  24. shower — to wash

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