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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. chip — for betting
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stand — to bear
  6. branch — a division
  7. chip — to eat
  8. hand — in cards
  9. content — the amount
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. content — happy
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. prune — to trim

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