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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. clip — a video
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. clip — to cut
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. board — a committee
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. branch — a division
  20. clip — for paper
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fork — in a road
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. board — to get on

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