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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — a division
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. firm — steady
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. march — music
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — the month
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. march — the month
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. firm — a company
  20. chair — a leader
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. firm — decided

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