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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. kick — in football
  4. file — a line of people
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stock — goods
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mug — a face
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. file — a tool
  15. chair — a leader
  16. content — the amount
  17. mug — to rob
  18. file — a document
  19. stock — shares
  20. craft — boats
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mug — a cup
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. branch — a division

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