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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cap — a hat
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. press — to push
  10. saw — the tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. file — a tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — boats
  15. file — a document
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cap — of ice
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. press — newspapers
  21. craft — a skill
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. file — a line of people

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