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 120 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: file · branch · degree · can · straw · wave · current · ground

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. can — a tin
  5. ground — crushed
  6. file — a tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. can — to be able to
  10. current — electric
  11. branch — a division
  12. degree — from a university
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. file — a document
  15. degree — an amount
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. file — a line of people
  18. degree — temperature
  19. can — a tin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ground — the earth
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wave — with your hand

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