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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. shower — rain
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. shower — to wash
  10. press — to push
  11. rest — a break
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — for money
  17. hand — in cards
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rest — what's left
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hand — help

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