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 · rush · content · track · foot · land · key · kid

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. branch — a division
  3. track — a song
  4. content — the amount
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. land — to come down
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. key — in music
  9. content — happy
  10. key — the most important part
  11. land — a country
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. kid — child
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. track — to keep track
  18. kid — to tease
  19. key — for a lock
  20. foot — a measure
  21. track — a path
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. land — ground
  24. branch — of a tree

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