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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. branch — a division
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. capital — a city
  10. scale — in music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. season — of the year
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. capital — money
  23. season — in sport
  24. bank — of a river

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