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 116 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. capital — money
  3. object — an aim
  4. track — to keep track
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. sharp — clever
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. capital — a city
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. track — a song
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. object — to protest
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. object — a thing
  22. track — a path
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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