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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. staff — employees
  3. date — the fruit
  4. shower — to wash
  5. current — happening now
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cap — a lid
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — a division
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. current — of water
  16. shower — rain
  17. staff — employees
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cap — of ice
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cap — a hat
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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