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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stock — goods
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. kid — child
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fork — in a road
  19. kid — to tease
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stock — shares
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bulb — of a plant

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