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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — music
  3. mate — a friend
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. saw — the tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chest — a box
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pass — a permit
  10. craft — a skill
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. branch — a division
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. craft — boats
  18. chest — of your body
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. mate — to breed
  24. chip — for betting

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