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: board · bat · kid · chair · branch · firm · mark · rest

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. kid — child
  4. rest — what's left
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. firm — steady
  8. bat — the animal
  9. board — to get on
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rest — a break
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mark — a grade
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mark — a trace
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — decided
  21. rest — what's left
  22. board — a committee
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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