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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. degree — an amount
  4. kid — to tease
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. file — a line of people
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. firm — decided
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ball — a dance
  13. file — a document
  14. degree — temperature
  15. file — a tool
  16. degree — from a university
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stem — to come from
  22. kid — child
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cue — a hint

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