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: staff · bowl · row · cold · branch · charge · wound · safe

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wound — an injury
  5. charge — in control
  6. branch — a division
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cold — an illness
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cold — not warm
  13. row — a line
  14. charge — electricity
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. row — to paddle
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wound — an injury
  24. staff — a stick

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