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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. clip — to cut
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — soda
  7. spring — of water
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spring — a coil
  12. current — electric
  13. branch — a division
  14. current — happening now
  15. pop — music
  16. spring — the season
  17. bulb — for light
  18. foot — a measure
  19. clip — a video
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. pop — to visit
  22. clip — for paper
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. current — of water

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