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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mate — a partner
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. field — a subject
  5. branch — a division
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. bank — for money
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — farmland
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mate — a friend
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. shower — to wash
  18. field — for sport
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chip — for betting

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