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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. present — there
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. march — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rush — hurry
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — for betting
  19. season — of the year
  20. present — the time now
  21. season — in sport
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. kid — child

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