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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lie — to recline
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. land — to come down
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. court — of a king
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. shower — to wash
  15. land — a country
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. court — for sport
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. shower — rain
  21. court — of law
  22. land — ground
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. branch — a division

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