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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. roll — a list
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. branch — a division
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bark — to shout
  12. band — a ring
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. game — wild animals
  16. band — a music group
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — a match
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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