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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. bore — to drill
  6. firm — a company
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. branch — a division
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chair — a leader
  12. cell — a phone
  13. firm — decided
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bore — to tire
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cell — in biology
  22. firm — steady
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. branch — of a tree

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