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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. can — a tin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. charge — a price
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. can — a tin
  7. charge — electricity
  8. roll — a list
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. branch — a division
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. can — to be able to
  18. march — the month
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. march — music
  21. roll — a cake
  22. charge — in control
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — to succeed

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