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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. capital — money
  4. deal — to handle
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. shower — rain
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. chip — to eat
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. court — of a king
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. branch — a division
  16. bank — of a river
  17. court — of law
  18. chip — for betting
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. court — for sport
  23. shower — to wash
  24. capital — a city

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