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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stock — shares
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. kid — child
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kid — to tease
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rest — a break
  19. chair — a leader
  20. branch — a division
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. stock — goods
  24. rush — a thrill

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