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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mate — to breed
  9. last — to go on
  10. shower — to wash
  11. object — to protest
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. last — final
  16. branch — a division
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. shower — rain
  21. last — finally
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. object — an aim

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