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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. scale — in music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. current — happening now
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. current — of water
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. branch — a division
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rush — hurry
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. current — electric
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. squash — the sport
  24. deal — to handle

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