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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stock — shares
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. bound — obliged
  9. drill — a practice
  10. field — for sport
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stock — goods
  13. bound — certain
  14. drill — the tool
  15. field — farmland
  16. drill — army training
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bound — tied together
  19. can — to be able to
  20. mark — a trace
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. field — a subject

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