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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. swing — in golf
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. march — music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. march — the month
  19. swing — music
  20. march — the month
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — a division
  24. file — a tool

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