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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spring — a coil
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bound — certain
  6. branch — a division
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mate — to breed
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. file — a tool
  11. spring — of water
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. file — a document
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — the season
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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