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 124 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: fine · rush · cabinet · degree · clip · bay · branch · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rush — hurry
  5. clip — a video
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. degree — from a university
  11. fine — all right
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. degree — temperature
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. degree — an amount
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fine — high quality
  24. branch — a division

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