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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. branch — a division
  3. saw — the tool
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. scale — size or range
  6. tube — a container
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. scale — in music
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fine — all right
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. tube — the underground
  24. straw — dry grass

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