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 cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. branch — a division
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. dip — to sink
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stock — goods
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cell — in biology
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. drill — the tool
  18. row — a line
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. row — to paddle
  21. drill — army training
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cell — a phone

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