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 · bank · capital · spell · cap · drill · ground

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cap — a hat
  5. spell — a short time
  6. capital — money
  7. spell — letters
  8. tube — the underground
  9. capital — a city
  10. cap — of ice
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bank — of a river
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ground — the earth
  15. spell — magic
  16. drill — army training
  17. bank — for money
  18. cap — a lid
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bank — for money
  21. ground — a position
  22. drill — a practice
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ground — crushed

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