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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  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. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. stock — goods
  15. bank — of a river
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bound — obliged
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. staff — employees
  21. branch — a division
  22. stock — shares
  23. arm — a part of something
  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