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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. charge — in control
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — in a race
  6. foot — a measure
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spell — magic
  10. charge — a price
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. charge — electricity
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. spell — letters
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. pit — a hole
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — a division
  23. spell — a short time
  24. branch — of a tree

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