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: game · branch · pitcher · straw · tube · present · rest · bore

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. game — a match
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rest — a break
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. game — wild animals
  9. tube — the underground
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. branch — a division
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. present — a gift
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rest — what's left
  21. present — there
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. present — the time now

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