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 116 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: stick · bat · bank · wake · branch · stem · shower · cue

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — a division
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bank — for money
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bank — of a river
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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