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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. race — humankind
  3. pop — to visit
  4. mate — a partner
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pop — music
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pop — soda
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. branch — a division
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. degree — an amount
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. degree — temperature
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mate — to breed
  23. race — a contest
  24. kick — in football

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