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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pit — in a race
  6. cold — not warm
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. race — the arms race
  10. craft — a skill
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cold — an illness
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. key — in music
  18. spell — magic
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. race — humankind
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. race — a contest
  24. craft — boats

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