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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · hand · branch · fine · bulb · game

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bulb — for light
  7. content — happy
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. content — the amount
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. branch — a division
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. hand — help
  17. fine — all right
  18. content — videos and posts

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