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: bank · march · pit · mouse · straw · fan · racket · branch

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. march — the month
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. branch — a division
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. march — music
  17. pit — a hole
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mouse — the animal

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