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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bulb — for light
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spring — a coil
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stock — goods
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stock — shares
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. can — a tin
  23. temple — side of the head
  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