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 120 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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. firm — a company
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. firm — steady
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. season — in sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. degree — an amount
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. branch — a division
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. degree — temperature
  16. firm — decided
  17. fork — in a road
  18. spring — of water
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. spring — a coil
  23. degree — from a university
  24. season — of the year

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