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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. field — for sport
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bass — low music
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — of a river
  10. current — electric
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bank — for money
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bank — for money
  15. bass — the fish
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. current — happening now
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. branch — a division
  20. charge — a price
  21. current — of water
  22. field — farmland
  23. charge — in control
  24. field — a subject

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