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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. drill — a practice
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. can — a tin
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — shares
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. stock — goods
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. sharp — clever
  24. can — to be able to

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