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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. present — the time now
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — there
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — a gift
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. scale — size or range
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. scale — in music

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