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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spring — a coil
  9. tear — from crying
  10. spring — of water
  11. can — a tin
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spring — the season
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. tear — from crying
  24. branch — a division

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