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: land · stock · branch · toast · racket · bowl · can · leaves

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. can — to be able to
  4. toast — bread
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. can — a tin
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. land — ground
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. branch — a division
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. stock — shares
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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