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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. pit — in a race
  3. branch — a division
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bank — for money
  6. current — of water
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. spring — of water
  10. bank — of a river
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. current — electric
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spring — the season
  16. current — happening now
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wind — moving air

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