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 · bulb · branch · toast · cap · bowl · rest · ruler

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rest — what's left
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. rest — a break
  16. tube — a container
  17. toast — bread
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. branch — a division
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bulb — for light

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