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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — a division
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fork — in a road
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. staff — employees
  14. wind — moving air
  15. current — happening now
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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