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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. spell — a short time
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pop — soda
  5. spell — magic
  6. mate — to breed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mate — a friend
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ground — the earth
  14. race — humankind
  15. mate — a partner
  16. shower — rain
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pop — music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. race — a contest
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. spell — letters

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