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: fan · pitcher · bear · branch · straw · land · key · craft

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. craft — boats
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. land — ground
  11. key — in music
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — the most important part
  21. branch — a division
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bear — 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