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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. kid — child
  3. stock — shares
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. firm — decided
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. clip — to cut
  11. current — of water
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. firm — steady
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. clip — for paper
  18. current — electric
  19. stand — to bear
  20. current — happening now
  21. shower — rain
  22. clip — a video
  23. branch — a division
  24. firm — a company

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