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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. cap — a lid
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stock — shares
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stock — goods
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. chest — a box
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stock — a soup base

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