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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. file — a tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stem — to come from
  7. file — a document
  8. spring — of water
  9. bank — of a river
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. branch — a division
  14. current — electric
  15. spring — the season
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. file — a line of people
  20. current — happening now
  21. spring — a coil
  22. current — of water
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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