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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. net — in sport
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. key — for a lock
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. key — in music
  7. branch — a division
  8. snap — to click
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. net — after costs
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. spell — magic
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. net — for catching
  18. key — the most important part
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stand — to bear
  21. degree — temperature
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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