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: lash · mug · branch · bat · tube · cabinet · present · pass

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. bat — the animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. tube — a container
  18. pass — a permit
  19. branch — a division
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mug — to rob

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