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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rush — hurry
  3. race — the arms race
  4. object — to protest
  5. toast — bread
  6. branch — a division
  7. object — an aim
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. race — a contest
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bulb — for light
  19. race — humankind
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. object — a thing
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. deal — an agreement

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