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 · branch · bound · staff · patient · mouse · temple · net

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bound — tied together
  3. net — in sport
  4. staff — a stick
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. net — for catching
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — after costs
  24. tube — a container

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