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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. file — a line of people
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pass — a permit
  7. file — a document
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. drill — army training
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. scale — in music
  15. drill — the tool
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bank — of a river
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. file — a tool
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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