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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. charge — electricity
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. field — a subject
  8. mark — a grade
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. capital — a city
  12. staff — employees
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. branch — a division
  15. charge — a price
  16. lie — to recline
  17. charge — in control
  18. stock — goods
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. capital — money
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stock — shares

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