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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rock — music
  3. club — for golf
  4. game — a match
  5. mate — a partner
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fall — to drop
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bound — certain
  20. fall — the season
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. club — a group
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bound — obliged

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