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: mine · cap · branch · craft · pound · cabinet · chip · straw

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cap — of ice
  4. craft — a skill
  5. branch — a division
  6. cap — a lid
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mine — for digging
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pound — a weight
  18. craft — boats
  19. chip — for betting
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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