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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. race — the arms race
  4. chip — to eat
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. stock — goods
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stock — shares
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. race — humankind
  15. bulb — for light
  16. branch — a division
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. season — of the year
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. chip — for betting
  21. season — in sport
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. race — a contest
  24. bulb — for light

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