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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. branch — a division
  5. capital — money
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — in control
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. club — a group
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. club — for dancing
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. club — for golf
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mark — a trace
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. capital — a city
  23. charge — electricity
  24. straw — a straw man

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