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: branch · bay · ground · wound · staff · board · land · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. staff — employees
  3. board — a committee
  4. branch — a division
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wound — an injury
  7. land — to come down
  8. staff — a stick
  9. land — a country
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ground — a position
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wound — an injury
  16. board — to get on
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. staff — employees
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. land — ground

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