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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. club — a group
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. land — a country
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. land — ground
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. land — to come down
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. hand — help
  18. bulb — for light
  19. branch — a division
  20. degree — from a university
  21. club — for golf
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. bat — the animal

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