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 120 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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stock — shares
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. row — a line
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stand — to bear
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stock — goods
  18. content — happy
  19. branch — a division
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. content — the amount
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bat — the animal

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