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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. scale — in music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. branch — a division
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. net — for catching
  9. row — to paddle
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. row — a line
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rush — hurry
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. vault — a safe
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — in sport
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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