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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. ground — crushed
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. land — a country
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. key — for a lock
  9. land — ground
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. land — to come down
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. key — in music
  16. spring — of water
  17. roll — a list
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. spring — a coil
  20. branch — a division
  21. spring — the season
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. key — the most important part

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