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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stock — goods
  3. pop — soda
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stock — shares
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. season — in sport
  8. pound — a weight
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. staff — a stick
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. season — of the year
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pop — music
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. snap — to click
  24. racket — a loud noise

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