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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bank — of a river
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stock — shares
  6. bank — for money
  7. club — for golf
  8. firm — steady
  9. stock — goods
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. firm — decided
  15. bank — for money
  16. clip — for paper
  17. club — a group
  18. clip — a video
  19. club — for dancing
  20. firm — a company
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. clip — to cut

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