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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bank — of a river
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lie — to recline
  7. branch — a division
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bank — for money
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stock — goods
  13. pop — soda
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pop — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mine — for digging
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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